To Tell The Truth
by SplendentGoddess
Summary: Mistaken identity has a priest giving Kagome a tea that temporarily makes her incapable of lying. Assured that the inu-tachi are not who he thought they were, they're free to go. But how long before the tea wears off? And just what will Kagome admit?
1. The Whole Truth…

Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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><p>Nominated for Best Lemon, IYFG, 1st Quarter 2010<p>

Winner! 3rd Place for Best Inu/Kag Romance, Feudal Association, 1st Quarter 2011

This story has been modified in compliance with FF's policies regarding adult content. In this format it is rated M (R) and does still contain a lemon, which has been properly edited. The original version is rated MA (X) and can be found on either mediaminer or AFF.

A/N:

This story takes place earlier in the timeline during what I used to call the 'randomly generated anime episode' time period, though I guess I will have to come up with a new name since they have since completed the rest of the story in anime format, but that's neither here nor there. Just for a basic point of reference, for the purposes of _this _story, they are currently still searching for jewel shards as well as hunting Naraku, which means that Kikyou is of course still alive, and that Kouga is still showing up at random to proclaim his love for Kagome. Please suspend disbelief with regard to the off-canon nature of this supposedly canon story, and enjoy!

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Chapter 1 – ...The Whole Truth…

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"I see…so you, the hanyou, the houshi, the taijiya and the kitsune are all working together to hunt down Naraku and complete the Shikon no Tama." the village priest repeated, nodding his head sagely as he recalled hearing many tales in recent months of a strange group of travelers that were seeking the scattered shards of the sacred jewel.

Descriptions of precisely who made up that group of individuals seemed to vary depending on whom you asked, so he hadn't immediately recognized Kagome's group for who they were when they had first entered his village earlier that morning.

"Yes, exactly." the future-born miko replied, at first having felt terrified to feel the effects of his 'truth tea', but since feeling more relaxed as she realized this man was fighting on the side of good, and that he truly meant no harm to either her or her friends.

Unfortunately, there had been recent rumors of a group of bandits that roughly matched their description, the group consisting of both men and women with at least one youkai. What were the odds? But Kagome couldn't rightfully blame the man for wanting to protect his village. When they had first attempted to reason with the village headman regarding their true intentions, the priest had stepped forward and asked boldly if any of them would willingly submit to drinking his tea of truth, calling upon Kagome to be the one before any of them had even had a chance to respond. Thinking back on it, she could still hear Inuyasha cursing in her head even now, when he had basically ordered her to not drink anything the priest gave to her. But they would've been found guilty otherwise! She hadn't had a choice! Miroku had uttered quietly that he was familiar with the potion the village priest spoke of, assuring her that it was both legitimate and harmless, and so to save everyone, including herself, the future-born-miko had conceded to taking the Feudal era's equivalent of a lie detector test.

Having feared that the monk and slayer robes of Miroku and Sango were meant as a deception, and finding Kagome's own outfit completely bizarre and more than a little inappropriate, the village priest had been downright convinced that these people were indeed the traveling bandits, until Kagome's story had proven otherwise. While under the influence of his potion, the girl was not only incapable of lying, but she was actually urged to answer any and all questions asked upon her, so simply remaining silent wasn't an option, either, as fully honest answers were given to every one of his questions.

Realizing in that moment that she was the reincarnation of the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, and that she was on a holy mission blessed by the kami – how _else _could you really explain the magic of the Bone Eater's Well? – the priest immediately sent Kagome and her friends on their way with humble apologies for the mistake, as well as his vow to never tell a soul of the important secrets he had learned.

"Feh…unless someone makes _you _drink that fucking tea…" Inuyasha muttered under his breath, while Miroku spoke with the village headman about rumors of a youkai disturbance in a neighboring village that might involve a Shikon shard.

"Come on, let's get the hell out of here." Inuyasha spoke up after Miroku told him of the possible lead.

"No complaints here." Sango stated in compliance, the youkai exterminator not having appreciated being confused for an honorless criminal wearing a knockoff of the taijiya uniform.

"Miko-sama, one word of caution." the priest spoke up as they were moving to depart. "Speak cautiously. The tea's effects shall last until morning."

_Just fucking great_… Inuyasha thought, dreading the idea of some random youkai showing up and asking her point blank where their jewel shards were.

"Should we just stay here for the night, until the tea wears off?" Shippou asked in that moment, but the child's logic was dismissed when Inuyasha snorted, stating despite his own concerns, "We need to get a move on. Especially if there is a youkai near the next village that might have a jewel shard."

Smirking, Miroku turned to the miko beside him in that moment, and asked, "What do you think, Kagome-sama?"

Kagome smiled before answering the houshi truthfully. "I actually agree with Inuyasha." she stated. "If there is a chance of getting another jewel shard, not to mention stopping a dangerous youkai before it causes any more damage, then we shouldn't wait around just for the effects of the tea to wear off."

Inuyasha was somewhat taken aback. Kagome actually agreed with him? It seemed like they almost always fought over that sort of thing, and he could usually tell that whenever she did agree with him, it was merely to avoid a fight, not that she actually agreed.

_But she really does agree with me this time, because she has to tell the truth right now… _he knew. _Huh…_he realized after a moment. _Maybe this won't be so bad, after all_.

oooOooo

_Ugh, if I had known it was going to be this bad, I would have wanted to stay in the village until tomorrow_… Kagome grumbled to herself, before an idea struck her and she tried a little experiment. _I absolutely __love__ all of Inuyasha's questions…_she thought without sarcasm lacing her tone, realizing, _Huh, looks like I can still lie in my thoughts, all the good _that _does me_.

"So what do you like about my ears?" he asked her in that moment, and she rolled her eyes. _Is this guy for real? _

It was time to get even.

"I think they're cute." the miko answered matter-of-factly, snickering to herself at the light dusting of pink that instantly appeared on Inuyasha's cheeks and nose with her latest answer.

_That's what he gets_… she thought in amusement, satisfied to finally have the tables of embarrassment turned around.

It had all started out innocently enough.

In light of her agreeing with his decision to get back out on the road again, the hanyou had asked her, despite knowing of the effects of the tea, if she had _really _meant what she'd said. Just to make her repeat it, no doubt.

"Do you really agree with me?" had been his actual question.

Kagome hadn't caught on, at first, and had readily answered that yes, she did indeed agree that it was best to put a stop to that attacking youkai as quickly as possible. She had actually been a little hurt, at first. Had he really thought that she would be so self-conscious that she'd rather hide out in the relative safety of the village until the effects of the tea wore off, even at the possible cost of people's lives? The tea didn't prevent Kagome from speaking her own mind, so long as her words were truthful, and so she'd let him have it for being surprised by her amount of consideration for other people. He should know her by now, damn it!

Having fully expected an argument, Kagome had been mildly surprised when Inuyasha had appeared to hold his tongue, a light dusting of pink gracing his cheeks before he snapped his gaze away from her as he proceeded to march down the trail to the next village. Of course, Kagome had eventually realized that what Inuyasha had actually been surprised about had been her simple admittance to having _agreed _with him, regardless of the subject matter, instead of arguing simply for the sake of arguing, which was apparently what he usually thought she was doing whenever she _dis_agreed with something he said. So she had eventually apologized, confessing that she shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly, as she reiterated for the third time that yes, she did agree with him, while also issuing forth another light apology for all of the times they usually fought. She didn't like to argue simply for the sake of arguing, but sometimes, part of her might agree with him while another part of her wouldn't, and so she had to stick to her guns, even if part of her understood where he was coming from. In return, he had miraculously apologized to her as well, for the misunderstanding, because he hadn't meant for her to take his question the way she had, as if she were possibly capable of being selfish enough to put herself before the welfare of others. She was too damn caring for something like that. Warmth had bubbled up in her chest at his words…

It had all gone downhill from there.

His sudden question of "What else do you actually agree with me about, at least in part?" had led to her reluctant admittance of knowing that finding the jewel shards and defeating Naraku were more important, on the grand scale of things, than her grades at school.

That confession had of course triggered a string of questions regarding why she always insisted, then, that she had to make it back home in time for her 'stupid tests', which had then caused Kagome to launch into a rather detailed description of the schooling system in her time, and how it was important to _her _and her _family _that she not bring them any dishonor by failing to get into high school. Yes, saving lives was more important than her own honor. Of course it was! But that didn't mean that school wasn't still important in its own right, and she really needed to see if she could continue juggling both. If it ever came down to actually being forced to choose, of _course_ she would aid in a battle against Naraku before abandoning her friends to go take a test at school, but so far, her returning home for her schoolwork had never been a life or death decision.

Inuyasha's eyes had actually softened a little after that conversation had ended, Kagome's schooling having finally been put into perspective in a way that he could understand. While he still didn't _really _understand, he could at least accept that it was a matter of honor, and to know that her responsibilities in his time with the jewel and Naraku were putting her and her family's honor at stake back in her own world had caused the hanyou to feel a bit of sympathy for the girl. His questioning had stopped…for a little while.

Then it had been time to eat lunch.

Halfway through slurping his noodles Inuyasha had paused, remembering something that Kagome usually complained about. Noting how surprisingly quiet she was being in that moment had only made him more suspicious.

His sudden question of "Do you really think I eat like a pig?" had immediately led to her clipped answer of, "Yes, I do."

Kagome had been bound and determined to keep her answers as short as possible, especially if another round of twenty-questions was about to get underway.

"Does it _bother _you that I eat like a pig?"

"Not really."

"Why?"

"It's understandable."

"Why is it understandable?"

"Considering the life you've had to live, I can't blame you for instinctively eating your food as quickly as possible."

At least she had managed to answer that question without mentioning anything about _canine_ instincts. He never appreciated being compared to a dog.

Intrigued by her answer, especially considering that no one had ever shown him any sort of sympathy or understanding before, Inuyasha had then asked the miko, "What else is understandable, considering the life I've had to live?"

At that point, Miroku and Sango had started exchanging silent glances back and forth between the hanyou and miko, like watching a tennis match. They both wondered how far Inuyasha planned on taking his dangerous game, and how long Kagome would play along before she realized that the tea did not hinder her ability to _osuwari _him.

At his latest question, the miko had confessed that she couldn't really blame him for his untrusting nature, or his harsh, somewhat crude behavior when it came to interacting with other people. His chest had almost seemed to puff with pride at her words, as if her excusing his behavior as understandable had actually been a complement of some sort. Of course, it hadn't taken long to dawn on the taijiya and houshi that Kagome's words probably _had _been taken as a compliment from Inuyasha's point of view. Not that he necessarily felt vindicated for behaving the way he did, but more simply, that she had not accused his crass nature on his hanyou status. It was because he was a jaded outcast that he acted the way he did, not because he was a vile monster incapable of higher intelligence.

"Keh."

Kagome had breathed a sigh of relief, believing his current line of questioning to be over, but her reprieve was proven short-lived when he suddenly asked her, "So what do you _like_ about me?"

Sango had groaned, while Miroku did his best not to snicker out loud. Shippou had shared a glance with Kirara before getting back to his own lunch, the kitsune child having decided that he was no longer interested in their conversation if it was just going to be about Inuyasha from that point onward.

With a nice rosy hue of pink staining her cheeks, Kagome had begun listing off Inuyasha's various strong points, in that he was physically strong, determined, brave…well you get the idea.

_Inuyasha 1, Kagome 0_

It had dawned on Kagome during all of this, however, that so long as the question was vague enough, she still had some measure of control over how she answered, so long as she was truthful and also not deliberately attempting to omit something important she had thought of in the forefront of her mind. She had already experimented earlier in the day with trying to tell a lie, and the act was like pushing against an invisible force field. She would pause in her speech, temporarily unable to say anything at all as the words she had attempted to speak were plucked from her throat. But remaining silent entirely wasn't an option, either, she knew, as the longer she attempted to hold her mouth closed, the more holding her words in began to feel like holding her breath. The moment would inevitably come when she simply _had _to say _something_. However, knowing that when she didn't resist answering the questions asked upon her, she was then given a marginal amount of control with regard to her answers, depending on the nature of the question, it was in that moment that Kagome decided to have a little fun.

It was with that last thought in mind that Kagome had deliberately added his _ears_ to her list of things she liked about him, figuring that the embarrassment he would feel at her mention of the appendages she knew he didn't much care for would outrank any embarrassment she might feel herself for having said it in the first place. Sending a playful wink Sango and Miroku's way when Inuyasha wasn't looking had let her friends know that the final item on her list had been added on purpose, and the monk had smirked in his own amusement while the taijiya had merely continued to shake her head in disbelief over how juvenile their hanyou friend was acting, given Kagome's present condition. Sango just hoped the miko knew what she was doing.

Inuyasha hadn't taken the bait, at first, asking Kagome to elaborate in other aspects of his character, which she had become happier to do once it'd dawned on her that Inuyasha had actually seemed almost desperate for the reaffirmation of his self-worth. Was it really that he had honestly believed she'd thought so little of him, or more that he truly thought so little of himself? But soon enough she'd finally gotten what she'd wanted, and seeing him turn away in embarrassment in that moment as his questioning suddenly came to a halt, the miko did a little mental happy-dance while evening out the tally in her mind.

_Inuyasha 1, Kagome 1_

Inuyasha was, in fact, dumbstruck and honored to hear some of the things Kagome actually thought about him, her admittances filling him with a sense of pride that almost felt foreign after being told he was nothing and worthless for most of his life. When he'd first asked her what she liked about his ears, he had honestly expected her to say something in regard to how keen his sense of hearing was, figuring that despite their appearance, she appreciated them for their functionality in that regard. He had _not _been expecting her to call his ears _cute!_

_F-feh! Stupid wench, she said that on purpose just to mess with me_, the hanyou realized as he caught the way Kagome was winking at their snickering friends. Still…despite saying it on purpose to embarrass him, Inuyasha did remain aware of the fact that in order for her to have said it at all, it still had to be the truth. _She really thinks they're cute…?_

"You are playing with fire." Inuyasha heard Miroku whisper in an amused tone of warning to Kagome, and he scoffed at the lecher's concerns.

It hadn't been his goal to see how badly he could embarrass the girl, and the monk had _better _not start asking her anything perverted or else he wouldn't hesitate to knock the bastard unconscious until the effects of the tea were completely clear from her system. Realizing that he had still managed to embarrass Kagome, though, Inuyasha figured that they were probably even with her little comment about his ears, and quickly decided to change the subject before he ended up saying something that would renew his acquaintanceship with the ground.

"So…wench…what all do you actually study at that 'school' thing of yours?"

oooOooo

Entering the quiet, victimized village later that afternoon, Kagome still had a slight smile on her face, truly touched by Inuyasha's efforts to no longer take advantage of the effects of the tea. He didn't give a rat's ass about her schooling and you would never be able to convince her otherwise, but asking her such a question had been his way of apologizing for his earlier behavior, and she had forgiven him, of course. As was evidenced by the way she was currently riding on his back.

While Inuyasha suspected that the miko on his back had forgiven him for earlier, he refused to ask her directly, wishing to avoid bringing up what a baka he had been. After managing to get back on her good side, Inuyasha had actually refrained from asking Kagome any additional questions at all, except for simple things like if she wanted to stop yet or if she could continue to travel further. He wanted to hear that answer. Finally, the girl wouldn't be able to utterly exhaust herself by refusing to appear weak in his eyes.

Kagome had been unable to hide it when her feet had started bothering her, her quiet admittance resulting in finishing off the last mile of travel riding on Inuyasha's back, and that was cause for another, somewhat larger smile to grace the miko's lips in that moment, knowing that her hanyou companion would not see it as she was currently still riding upon his back as they entered the desolate village that had recently fallen victim to numerous youkai attacks. At least according to the previous village.

Those rumors turned out to be true when, after some mild investigating, Inuyasha revealed that he could definitely detect the stench of reptilian youkai. Placing Kagome back on her feet, Inuyasha dropped to the ground, looking for the freshest scent trail, and then he was off. Her feet having been given a chance to rest, Kagome could easily keep up as everyone followed after Inuyasha in that moment, the inu-hanyou following his nose to an ugly beast that was presently lurking just outside the village's borders.

As soon as the strangers were gone, frightened villagers began peaking their heads out of what few buildings remained standing, hoping that the conversation they had overheard was legitimate, and that the strangers were in fact there to help them by slaying the youkai.

Coming face to face with the beast in question not five minutes later, the inu-tachi sized the creature up before unanimously deciding that the low-level youkai was truly no threat to hunters of their skill-level, the jewel shard currently resting in its belly being the only thing that gave the weakling any strength at all. One thing _was _quickly proven to be a threat to them, however.

"Yoooouuuuu havvvvve jeeeeewwwllll ssssssssshhhhardsssszzzzz" the beast hissed, surprising Inuyasha, who honestly hadn't been expecting the overgrown gecko to be able to talk.

Eyeing Kagome directly, the lizard-youkai garbled out, "Whhhheeerrrrrrrrreee arrrrree thhhheeeyyyy?"

Unable to avoid answering the question, Kagome closed her eyes and tried her hardest to fight the spell, but eventually rasped out, "In…a…bot…tle a…round my…neck."

"Damn it all!" Inuyasha bellowed immediately.

"I'm sorry!" Kagome cried, her hands rushing to the bottle as if in an extra attempt to protect it from imminent attack.

_Shit…_Sango mentally cursed, aiming her giant boomerang in the hope of decapitating the rapidly approaching youkai in one solid swing. _Why couldn't it have just demanded we hand the shards over? __That's__ not a question… _the slayer grumbled to herself as she released her weapon with a fearsome cry of "Hiraikotsu!"

The tokage was surprisingly quick on its feet, however, as it easily dodged Sango's weapon, proving itself to be somewhat of a greater threat than they had originally believed. It didn't take long for the reptile to close the remaining distance between itself and the temporarily distracted miko.

"Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha hollered in that moment, coming down in front of Kagome with the transformed Tetsusaiga descending on a powerful swing.

Jumping back to avoid decapitation a second time, the lizard-youkai rose up onto its hind legs before rapidly swinging its body around, hoping to hit Inuyasha with its giant tail. Fortunately, the hanyou realized what the gecko was doing, and quickly grabbed Kagome before leaping out of the way.

"It's fast, but its youki is weak." Inuyasha whispered into the girl's ear, not knowing the lizard's strength of hearing but not willing to take any chances. "I'll distract it. Ready an arrow."

Nodding her understanding while trying to get her shaky breathing back under control, Kagome did as Inuyasha asked while he rushed off to get the youkai's attention away from her.

"Hey, ugly!" he bellowed, holding up a closed fist. "I've got the jewel shards, now. What're ya gonna do about it?"

His words made the miko raise an uncertain hand to her chest, only to discover that her bottle of shards was still hanging in place around her neck; Inuyasha was lying.

_What a wonderful ability to possess_.

Shaking such negative thoughts free from her mind, the miko knew she needed to redeem herself by not missing this shot. The lizard youkai was weak enough that it would take it a moment to sense that the shards were still with her, so in that single moment, as it stood trying to determine whether or not the hanyou really had the shards now, Kagome took her chance.

_Hit the mark! _she shouted in her mind, holding her breath.

The tokage sensed her approaching arrow too late, turning its head just in time for its eyes to widen in surprise before her arrow pierced its throat, the gecko-youkai disappearing into sparkly dust as a purified jewel shard dropped to the ground.

"She did it!" Shippou cried happily, the boy's words mirroring the rest of the inu-gang's thoughts.

Walking forward to collect their latest jewel shard, Kagome offered Inuyasha a brief, apologetic look for her earlier tea-induced slipup, before turning to address everyone as she stated, "Well, I suppose the villagers should be told that the youkai has been taken care of."

"Yes," Miroku agreed in that moment, adding, "It would be irresponsible of us to allow them to continue needlessly living in fear."

"You guys better go on without me, though." Kagome said then, passing a quick glance in Inuyasha's direction before shifting her gaze to focus on Sango and Miroku. She knew there was no way the hanyou would ever leave her in the woods by herself, so her words were basically directed towards the houshi and taijiya as she added, "Wouldn't want to risk somebody asking me something I shouldn't answer."

"Oh, Kagome-chan…" Sango said softly in understanding.

She wanted to argue against the miko's worries, but truly, the youkai exterminator knew that her friend was right. Even a seemingly innocent question like asking her where she had come across such a bizarre kimono would likely trigger an answer involving secrets that really shouldn't be told.

"We'll be quick." Miroku spoke up after a moment, a silent glance passed between himself and the slayer confirming that both he and Sango had similar thoughts.

Watching them walk away through the trees, Kagome stared after them for a moment before shifting her gaze to glance in Inuyasha's direction, only to note how he was staring off in another direction entirely. What Kagome had missed seeing was the way he had been staring directly at her, only to quickly look away when she'd started to turn her head in his direction.

Sensing the awkwardness developing between the miko and hanyou, Shippou spoke up in that moment with, "Don't worry, Kagome. We all know you couldn't help saying what you did, and the tea will wear off really soon!"

Smiling a somewhat forlorn, yet appreciative smile, Kagome nodded her thanks to the young boy. "That's right. It will, won't it?" she agreed in a soft tone, chancing another glance in Inuyasha's direction only to see him continuing to ignore her.

_Tomorrow morning can't get here fast enough_… she thought dejectedly.

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed by without much incident, the inu-tachi having decided to head north after the rescued village had no information to offer as far as any potential new leads. After politely declining the villagers' offer for free room and board as payment for slaying the gecko-youkai, Miroku had managed to sweet talk their way into payment in the form of food, so dinner would be taken care of that night without the need to worry over hunting or fishing.

Setting up camp for the night was fairly routine, with Sango working to build up their campfire while Miroku gathered additional firewood to last them throughout the night. Inuyasha and Kirara both broke off to scout around the immediate area checking for threats, of which they thankfully found none. Kagome figured she might as well try to get a few minutes of studying in, like she usually did, although the miko didn't feel opposed to the idea of engaging the others in conversation. Truth be told, and there was no way around that for the moment, Kagome appreciated her friends' consideration, but found it unnecessary. She would admit that she had been a little nervous back in the beginning, mainly worried that Miroku might've started asking her _inappropriate _questions, but she was pretty sure that a glare from either Sango or Inuyasha, or both, had stilled the houshi's tongue in that regard. Aside from that single concern, there was really no reason to fear chatting with her friends. She had always been a fairly honest person, after all, so how much difference could the truth tea really make?

She had her answer when the companionable silence after dinner was suddenly broken by Shippou's young voice commenting "Look!"

There, towards the east, shimmering in between the dark trees of the forest was the unmistakable glow of several shinidamachuu. Miroku and Sango both stiffened at the sight, and the steady silence around camp went from comfortable to awkward in an instant. Casting a quick glance in Kagome's direction, the hanyou's 'cute' ears lowered regretfully against his head, as Inuyasha silently stood up, his eyes reflecting his apologies as he prepared to respond to his former love's summons.

This wasn't right. Something had to be done. This was the perfect opportunity, and if nobody else was going to take advantage of it, then he _would_.

"Kagome! Why don't you _say _something!" Shippou bellowed, Inuyasha freezing in his tracks as a collective gasp could be heard among the other members of camp.

"It isn't my place to say anything, Shippou-chan." Kagome answered quietly, refusing to meet anyone's eyes as she stared at her own feet.

Part of Inuyasha wanted to make a run for it before things got any worse. Another part of him desperately wanted to close the gap between himself and the future-born-miko, doing whatever was in his power to make the sadness in her scent go away. He knew she hated it whenever he left to see Kikyou, but…

"But _why?" _the kitsune whined in that moment.

"Shippou…leave it alone." Miroku stated with no small measure of authority, but the fox-child refused to be swayed.

"Because Inuyasha and Kikyou have a history together that can never be changed, and he has every right to visit with her whenever he wishes." Kagome answered the kit, raising her head to narrow her eyes at the boy when it became apparent to her what Shippou was really up to. If he managed to ask her the right question…

"So you really don't mind?" the boy asked incredulously, revealing he was far more observant when it came to adult matters than any of them had ever given him credit for. He knew quite well of her feelings for the hanyou.

"Shippou!" Sango scolded, but it was already too late.

_Please don't make me say it… _Kagome begged both of Shippou as well as her own traitorous tongue.

"Of course I mind." she answered, her words more bitter than she had intended.

Inuyasha felt like he had been slapped. Never before had he heard Kagome use such a tone of voice, at least not in regard to himself in any way. Yes, he had already known that it bothered her whenever he left to see Kikyou, but like she had just admitted, herself, it wasn't really her place to say anything on the matter. Still, the hanyou couldn't help but to feel guilty for the pain he was obviously causing her, so against his better judgment, he spoke up himself in that moment.

"Kagome…don't be like this." he murmured softly, pleading with his eyes for her to understand.

Her eyes narrowed further.

"Be like what? Honest? Can't help it right now, in case you haven't noticed." she snapped, before her own eyes softened in apology at the hurt look that splashed across his face.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized with honest regret for not holding her tongue, unable to tell him that she hadn't mean what she'd said, because she had, and he knew it. "Just…go. Kikyou is waiting for you."

"And you hate it." the hanyou supplied.

It wasn't stated in question form, but Kagome still answered nonetheless, lowering her gaze before whispering so quietly that only demonic ears could hear her, "Yes…"

Inuyasha wanted to ask her why, but thought better of it, pretty sure he knew the answer, and very sure that Kagome wouldn't appreciate him forcing her to admit it aloud. Unfortunately, they had both temporarily forgotten about the not-so-innocent kitsune.

"Then why do you always do this to yourself, Kagome?" Shippou asked softly, all the while wondering if it would really do any good. If that baka was too insensitive to already know how it hurt Kagome whenever he ditched her to go see that walking corpse, then hearing her say it now probably wouldn't change a damn thing.

On the other side of the campfire, Miroku, Sango, and even Kirara were holding their breaths for what was about to happen.

Mind scrambling, Kagome realized with a growing sense of panic that there was simply nothing else she could say that would be any more honest than the one, true answer.

"Because I love him." she stated matter-of-factly, quickly deciding in that moment that if she was going to go down, then she might as well do it with whatever little pride she had left, as she lifted her head to meet Inuyasha's gaze head-on. "And he loves Kikyou." she added solemnly, before immediately turning to fix her gaze on the kitsune.

"Now," she stated with slow, deadly precision, "If you are quite done meddling in adult matters that do not concern you, go to bed. Perhaps two weeks without any candy will do you some good."

Shippou wanted to whine like the little boy he was at the prospect of having his pockey and lollypops taken away for two whole weeks, but quickly thought better of it, casting a sidelong glance in Inuyasha's direction. Shippou caught what Kagome had failed to notice, as she'd immediately turned her gaze away from the hanyou upon her statement about his feelings for Kikyou. The look in Inuyasha's eyes could only be described as surprise mixed with confusion, and it was clear he wanted to say something further, but was arguing with himself over whether or not he should.

"Okay, Kagome…" Shippou mumbled in that moment, complying with her command as he crawled into bed without saying anything further.

Inuyasha _was_ surprised, and he _was_ confused.

While it had turned out that he had been correct in his assumption regarding why it really bothered Kagome whenever he left to see Kikyou, hearing the second half of her reasoning for why she'd never before said anything on the subject had promptly thrown him for a loop. Sure, Inuyasha knew that Kagome had feelings for him. It was kind of obvious, wasn't it? But he had thought she'd known that he felt the same way! It was his _obligation _to Kikyou that prevented anything from developing between himself and the future-born-miko, because he owed her his life for what had happened to her, not because he still had feelings for her. Well…in a way, of _course _he still had _some _feelings for Kikyou. You never stoped loving your first love, not entirely. But if it weren't for his vow to join her in Hell, if that was their fate, then he would've openly proclaimed his feelings for Kagome a long time ago. He was simply bound to Kikyou by honor, and unless the undead miko released him from his vow of dying with her, there was really nothing he could do about it. He knew Kagome knew of his vow to die with Kikyou, and he knew that it bothered her because of her desire for the two of them to be together, knowing it could never be…but was it really possible that she also thought the only reason he'd made such a vow in the first place was because of some continued unending love for Kikyou? Was it really possible that Kagome thought that she herself meant nothing to him?

Inuyasha was just getting ready to open his mouth to speak when a shinidamachuu chose that exact moment to slither into camp, circling itself around his torso before floating off the way it'd come. Somebody was getting impatient.

"You better not keep Kikyou waiting." Kagome said in that moment, though her tone of voice was falsely cheery rather than snide.

Clearly wanting to argue, Inuyasha's body twitched forward in Kagome's direction before he stopped himself, his ears having sprung up merely to lower once more.

"We need to talk about this." he stated quietly, but loud enough to ensure she heard him, before he quickly turned and bound off through the trees in the direction of the soul collectors.

_I have no desire to hear you lecture me about how I'm just a foolish girl and I need to get over you…_ Kagome thought bitterly, before turning smiling eyes towards Sango.

"Well, I think it would probably be best if I go home, at least until the tea wears off, ne?" she asked with a forced chuckle.

The slayer immediately picked up on the obvious hint, and with a quietly ordered "Kirara…" the fire-cat was roaring into full-size, ready to take the fifteen-year-old to the Bone Eater's Well.

Miroku, having also noticed something in Inuyasha's expression while Kagome had refused to make eye contact with the hanyou, spoke up in that moment with, "Have faith. All may not be as dire as it appears."

"Thanks…" Kagome answered disbelievingly, before Kirara took to the skies.

oooOooo

Racing as fast as he could to get his meeting with Kikyou over and done with, Inuyasha was not prepared for the sight that greeted him when he came upon the undead priestess engaged in apparent conversation with one of her soul collecting youkai servants. Where the surreal insect-like creatures had even come from was still somewhat of a mystery to him, so it shouldn't have struck the hanyou as too odd to discover that Kikyou could apparently communicate with them directly on a mental level, but the sight was still mildly disturbing, considering the shinidamachuu was perched motionless on her shoulder, their foreheads touching.

After a moment, the soul collector backed away, rejoining its comrades as they floated eerily among the trees, never venturing too far from their mistress. Another lone youkai emerged from the far corner of the woods in that moment, carrying an orb, which it delivered to Kikyou before joining the others as well.

"Inuyasha…" Kikyou spoke up quietly then, her eyes holding a softness he hadn't seen in them since her resurrection. "I am told my reincarnation has made a rather bold declaration."

Oh boy…

"Uh…well you see, Kikyou-"

"Yet you do not seem surprised by her confession." the undead miko added, cutting him off, which was fine with him since he had no idea what to say in the first place.

Maybe if he avoided the subject directly?

"Well…an old priest two villages over gave Kagome some kind of truth-tea because he thought we were a bunch of bandits, and the stupid runt took advantage of the situation when I got your summons, asking Kagome questions she couldn't help but answer. It ain't her fault, really." he supplied, knowing how jealous of Kagome Kikyou could get, and wanting to assure his first love that her reincarnation hadn't deliberately been trying to come between them.

"That merely excuses why her words were not left unspoken, yet also reinforces the sincerity behind them. It also does not explain your lack of surprise, unless one were to assume you had already known of her feelings for you."

"Kikyou…" he sighed, truly at a loss for what to say.

"Yet, she remains unaware of your feelings for her."

For the second time that night, Inuyasha felt like he had been slapped, his eyes frantically searching Kikyou's for precisely where she was going with this.

"Kikyou, don't be like this…" he beseeched quietly, not unaware of how he had spoken those same words to Kagome not long ago.

"You never did answer me," she pointed out nostalgically, as if he had said nothing at all. "When I had asked you if that girl was more important to you than myself."

"Kikyou…my life is yours."

"But not your love." she stated solemnly, and his ears lowered to his head, unable to think of anything to say in denial of her claim.

"That woman-child, that girl who is supposed to be my replacement, she holds your heart, even if she doesn't know it."

"Kikyou…" he answered finally, "I do still love you." he confessed, and his words were truthful. There were many different types of love, after all.

"My feelings for Kagome…" he added after a moment, "They don't matter. They _can't _matter. I am bound to you."

For a moment, Kikyou smiled, and Inuyasha wasn't sure how he felt about the expression. It was a twisted combination of the sweet smiles that used to grace her living visage, and a sinister smirk more befitting of one of their enemies.

"Yes…your life does belong to me. In that regard, you are correct."

Lowering his eyes at her words, Inuyasha was unaware of his pained expression as he silently examined his toes. It seemed like everyone he knew wanted his life for their own; they all wanted to be the one to _kill _him. Kikyou, Naraku, even his own brother…half-brother…whatever. Kagome was the only one who wanted him to _live_…even if it wasn't with her. Though she would gladly welcome him into her life, if he were able. If only it was that simple…

_He truly does love that girl_… Kikyou thought, all traces of hatred momentarily leaving her as she fully absorbed her latest soul, that of a young maiden who had died peacefully, and in love.

_Ah yes, to be young and in love_…

It was rather disconcerting, existing off the life-force of others, feeling their emotions, hearing their thoughts, but it was a burden that was hers alone to bear. Most times, the souls she was given were as tormented as her own, and she relished in that hatred, savoring it, saving it, using it to fuel her own, using it in her quest against Naraku. But when she acquired a peaceful soul, like she had just done in that moment, it reminded her of happier times, of what it was like to be free, to be loved. That soul, like a few of her others, would never become tainted by the hatred that fueled her. It was too innocent, too pure…just like Kagome.

_Is it so wrong that he should love Kagome as he does? _Kikyou sincerely wondered in that moment. _After all, she is me, and I am her, no matter how long we both deny it_.

The bigger question was, was it truly fair to ask Inuyasha to go to Hell with her, knowing full well that it would not be an eternity shared together, as he believed? How could they share eternity together in Hell, when she would be reincarnated in five centuries, destined to start the cycle all over again? It was clear Inuyasha had never considered that detail, and while Kagome most likely had, she had merely kept it to herself, as she had been doing with all things until suddenly being forced to tell the truth of her feelings against her will. Perhaps another form of destiny at work…

"Inuyasha…" Kikyou spoke softly in that moment, drawing his attention as he hesitantly raised his eyes to meet her own. "You do not wish to remain bound to me in such a manner, do you?" she asked him kindly, smirking to herself as his eyes widened in panic.

"It is my place." he answered quickly. Too quickly.

"Yes, I did desire your death, once…" Kikyou confessed, regarding him with a curious eye as he slowly processed her words. "But while I am still fueled by my feelings of hatred for you, feelings I died with, I do understand that you had not truly betrayed me."

Gaping like a fish, Inuyasha was unable to form words as Kikyou continued. "It is only with revenge that my soul may find rest, only with the death of he who killed me. At the time I had demanded such a fate of you, I had still believed it to be your claws that had ended my life. Tell me," she asked, grinning openly at his astounded expression, "Why do you agree to a fate that all others, including my sister, claim you do not deserve?"

Swallowing the Shikon-sized lump in his throat, Inuyasha suddenly found it very hard to find words, as his mind frantically scrambled to determine whether or not his 'cute' ears were playing tricks on him. Finally, he was able to find his voice, as he answered his first love truthfully.

"Because I had failed to protect you. Because if it weren't for me, Naraku wouldn't have killed you."

_For once in his life, Inuyasha should not be forced to take the blame for that which was not his doing_… the undead miko thought sympathetically.

"But you had been unaware of the bandit Onigumo, to whom I had been tending in secret. His desire to become Naraku was solely for the jewel. You were merely a convenient tool he made use of, a means to an end. Had you not been a part of the equation, Naraku would have simply found another way."

"Kikyou, what are you saying?"

"My death was not your fault, Inuyasha."

The hanyou literally took a step back in shock at her words, his mind and heart raging an internal battle, caught somewhere between joy and suspicion. Was this really Kikyou saying these things? As if reading his thoughts, the undead priestess spoke again in that moment, putting any doubt as to her identity out of his mind.

"I do not release you from your pledge, Inuyasha. Your life, such as it is, still belongs to me."

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha had to fight back his desire to scream. Then what had been the _fucking _point of that whole damn conversation?

Smirking, Kikyou let the hanyou stew for a moment longer before continuing. It was amusing, watching him so desperately try to hold in his rage around her. She knew how he and her reincarnation argued and fought on a regular basis. At first she had found it disrespectful, how crude he was to others in general. Then, Kikyou had momentarily thought that the way he treated her reincarnation merely went to prove how much more important she was to him than that woman-child from the future. However, it hadn't taken her long to realize that their open candor could have meant something else entirely. He felt _comfortable _around Kagome. He could be _himself _around Kagome. Kikyou realized in that moment – as was plainly being demonstrated before her as Inuyasha continued to hold his tongue – that he had never truly let his walls down while in her presence. All she had ever wanted was to be the one to heal his heart, but how was she supposed to accomplish such a thing if he had felt he had to be careful with what he said or did in her presence? And now, instead of healing his heart, she was one of the ones most responsible for its continued damage. Pushing her unending feelings of hatred to the furthest corners of her mind, Kikyou clung onto the echoed memories of love she had once felt for Inuyasha. It was so difficult, being a creature born of evil, while still possessing a fundamental knowledge of right and wrong. Truly, she was the monster, not the hanyou before her. Even if it truly no longer bothered her to know that he was suffering, even if she truly couldn't care less if he were to be miserable for the rest of his days, she would do the right thing, for the sake of her soul, for the sake of Kagome.

_After all, she is me…_

So long as she looked at it that way, then she was still doing it for herself. Something to look forward to, in her next life.

"As the owner of your life, you will do as I demand of you. You shall continue in your quest to defeat Naraku. You shall be the vessel of my revenge against he who killed me."

Inuyasha blinked slowly, searching for the trick in her words. He was _already _going to kill that bastard Naraku for what he did to her! So what made things different, now? Hesitantly, he raised his eyes to meet her own once more, a quietly uttered "Kikyou…?" leaving his lips on a whisper. Just what was she saying?

"Fail in this task, Inuyasha, and I shall seek my vengeance wherever I can. My soul cannot wander this limbo forever. Should you die by Naraku's hand, I shall take your soul into Hell, as you have already promised me. However, I give you this opportunity to live, while you are alive. I shall not be the one to end your life, and I shall not dictate what you do with your flesh, or whom you share it with."

His eyes grew wide at those words, a horrible crimson staining his cheeks, though Kikyou continued in her speech unfazed.

"Give me my revenge, avenge my death as he who would have been mine in life, and at the moment this task is completed, your life, and your soul, shall be yours entirely."

"So…what you're saying is…" he wished to be sure, "I can be with Kagome, but my soul is still yours until I defeat Naraku. But that after I kill that bastard and avenge your death, then I'm free?"

For an unresting spirit to be willing to make such a compromise, Inuyasha knew he couldn't take her generosity for granted. Kikyou was, in a sense, a poltergeist that had been given physical form; a spirit in limbo, trapped by the painful memories surrounding its death. She was essentially saying that it was truly Naraku's death that she required to find peace, and that if he failed to give her that, then he would be tormented with her in the afterlife, as penance for failing to avenge her. He deserved nothing less. However, Inuyasha held no fear that he might fall by Naraku's hand. He would kill that bastard. He would rip him apart with his own claws if he had to. And when he did, then Kikyou would be avenged, and his life would be his own again. Of course, there was no way that Inuyasha could overlook what Kikyou had not-so-subtly hinted at with regard to his _physical _life, even before slaying Naraku. His life in his body was his to do with as he pleased even now…it was only his life-force, his soul, that she still held claim to until after he fulfilled his final obligation.

Kikyou did not answer his clarifying question out loud, but the look in her eyes assured him that he understood her perfectly.

"I agree to this." he stated then, secretly overjoyed. It truly was as he had originally promised her, that he would join her in Hell 'if that was their fate'. Such a fate would now only be determined based on whether or not he successfully lived passed the fall of Naraku. He no longer had to worry about Kikyou personally being the one to drag is _living _body into the afterlife, as she had once attempted to do. His life was his until the day he died, and then what became of him would be determined based on whether or not he had successfully avenged her. He could live with that. He _would _live with that. He would _live_, and that was the most important detail of all.

_I have to tell Kagome…_

"Kikyou, you…you don't know what this means to me."

"Yes," she answered him, one last smile ghosting across her lips before her stoic mask was once again firmly in place. "I do."

_I feel no joy for him, but still, I know that I have done the right thing_.

It was so difficult, being a creature born of evil, while still possessing a fundamental knowledge of right and wrong.

Watching Inuyasha go, as he raced through the trees back to his friends, Kikyou felt the soul of the maiden within her thank her for her sacrifice. Mentally, the miko snorted. What sacrifice? Truly, it was not as if she had given Inuyasha up forever. She would get him back, in five hundred years.

oooOooo

Inuyasha was so ecstatic to tell Kagome the good news that he didn't even care about their friends overhearing, as he burst into the clearing shouting happily, "Kagome! You're not going to believe…"

His words trailed off as it quickly became apparent that the miko in question was absent, as was the slayer's nekomata companion.

"She went home, didn't she?" he addressed the slayer knowingly, his good mood only mildly dampened.

Under normal circumstances, Sango would be giving Inuyasha the cold shoulder. He had gone off to see Kikyou again, even knowing how upset it always made Kagome, and she had gone home as a result of her upset. But circumstances were far from normal. He and Kagome hadn't truly fought, and the slayer suspected it was mostly due to her own embarrassment, and dread over whatever it was Inuyasha had originally wanted to discuss with her upon his return, that had fueled Kagome's desire to flee through the well this time around. Couple that with how happy he had appeared a few moments prior, before his discovery of Kagome's absence, and the taijiya knew that whatever he had previously wanted to discuss with Kagome, something had definitely changed since then…and for the better.

"Yes…" Sango decided to answer honestly then. "I think she's had her fill of being forced to speak her mind, for one day. Perhaps it would be best if you waited until morning before following after her?" she suggested placatingly.

"Nah, fuck that." Inuyasha answered, though not in a truly hostile manner. "This is the perfect chance for us to talk, when I know she can't lie to me, or choose not to answer."

"And just what, pray tell, is it that you wish to discuss with her?" Miroku asked in that moment, his amusement clear.

"Uh…well..i-it ain't none of your business!" Inuyasha shouted, thoroughly embarrassed as he finally realized how openly giddy he had been acting in front of his friends.

"Has Kikyou released you from your vow?" Sango asked then, eyes wide.

Damn, the slayer always had been too smart for her own good.

"Keh…" Inuyasha muttered, hating the warmth he could feel spreading through his cheeks, as he answered simply, "I just gotta avenge her death against Naraku, and not get myself killed doin' it. All she wants is Naraku's death, and then she'll release her claim on my soul."

"So your soul is still pledged to Kikyou-sama until she gets her revenge." Miroku stated. It wasn't phrased like a question.

"I think that's fair!" Inuyasha defended quickly. "I don't care what anybody says. Had I been payin' closer attention, I woulda known somethin' was up, and I woulda sensed Naraku being born. If I hadn't left Kikyou alone, if I'd stayed in the area, then I woulda sensed danger comin' and I could've saved her! It _is _my place to avenge her death, and she deserves her justice if I fail."

"And what of Kagome-sama, in the mean time?" Miroku asked then, partially just curious over what Inuyasha really had planned, and partially protective over the girl he had come to think of as a precious little sister of sorts.

"Kikyou only holds claim on my soul, and only if I die before killing Naraku. While I'm alive, she won't interfere, and I'm free to live my life how I want."

"And how is that?" spoke a fourth voice not previously part of the conversation. All eyes turned to Shippou in that moment, the boy left forgotten and presumably asleep in Kagome's sleeping bag.

"Butt out, runt." Inuyasha stated with a glare, but the two humans at camp were quick to agree with the kitsune.

"Shippou's right…" Miroku stated in that moment. "I trust your intentions towards Kagome are honorable?"

"K-keh!" he spluttered. "Who d'you think I am, _you?"_ Inuyasha defended. "Of _course _my 'intentions' are 'honorable'. Feh."

Giggling quietly at Miroku's scandaled expression, Sango added, "Just be honest with Kagome-chan, especially since she currently has no choice but to be honest with you. Sometimes, you say things we all know you don't mean, but they are still hurtful to hear."

"I…" Inuyasha began, before closing his mouth. Sango was right. Sometimes he _did _say things he didn't mean, things that were hurtful…but he wouldn't do that _this _time! Would he? Was it possible that something would end up embarrassing him enough that he'd put his foot in his mouth during the most important conversation of his life? The more he thought about it, the stronger the butterflies in his stomach became, with regard to just _what_, exactly, he planned on saying to Kagome once he saw her. And what if she started crying? He knew he was never any good around tears.

"Maybe Inuyasha needs to drink the tea of truth, and then he'd _have _to be honest, no matter what!" Shippou piped up in that moment.

Growling under his breath in annoyance, Inuyasha was just about to bop the kid on the head when his fist froze mid-air, and he looked down at the cringing child with wonder.

Hesitantly lowering his arms from above his head, Shippou was stunned at the expression on the hanyou's face. "Inuyasha?" he voiced quietly.

"I'll do it." the inu-hanyou stated in that moment, turning to Miroku. "You know how to make that stuff, right? You'd said before that you knew of the potion, when you said it would be harmless for Kagome to drink it."

"I…" the houshi started slowly, truly stunned and trying to catch up with what had just happened, before a full-blown grin broke out over his face. "Why, yes! I do indeed know how to brew that tea, and I do believe that Kaede-sama has all of the necessary ingredients already on hand." Turning to gaze in the kitsune's direction, he praised, "What a wonderful idea, Shippou."

The boy puffed his chest with pride.

"There's just one problem," Sango spoke up in that moment. "With Kagome-chan gone on Kirara, we don't all have a way back to Kaede-sama's village before daybreak."

"That's not true!" Shippou chimed in, transforming in a *pop* to his bird disguise. "I can carry one of you." the kit stated, willing to do whatever it took, including exhaust himself, if it meant making Kagome happy, and Inuyasha confessing his love for her while under the influence of the truth-tea would definitely make Kagome happy.

"Then it's settled." Inuyasha stated with conviction, opting to carry Sango, as it would be much less awkward for him, and with the added weight of Hiraikotsu, he feared the slayer with all of her gear would be too heavy for the runt, anyway. Truth be told, he did care for the boy, even if he never showed it. Hopefully he would be able to depart for Kagome's world immediately after drinking the tea, so that he would not end up being forced to admit to such a thing out loud, although whatever unpleasant 'side effects' turned up as a result of this decision, it would be worth it, for Kagome. Carrying Kagome's backpack and sleeping bag as well, as the girl had left all of her possessions behind during her hasty departure, the hanyou took off in that moment, making sure to keep a pace the fox-turned-bird would be able to keep up with while carrying Miroku. They were still traveling about five times faster than a human could run on their own, and at their current rate, they would make it back to Kaede's well before dawn.

oooOooo

Five hundred years in the future, the morbidly embarrassed miko was frantically trying to figure out how she could sneak up to her room without alerting any of her family. She wished she had thought of this before hand, but her suddenly showing up at around 11 o'clock at night was bound to arouse suspicion, and she was in no position to dodge any questions regarding what had happened back in the past. Maybe she should just camp out in the well-house until dawn? That thought would be mildly more appealing if she had at least remembered to bring her supplies back with her…or at the very least, her sleeping bag. Finally deciding that it was much too cold and uncomfortable in the well-house without any outdoor bedding, Kagome opened the shed door as slowly and quietly as possible. Stealthfully tiptoeing across the shrine grounds, she made her way to the main house as quiet as a cat demon.

_It's too bad Kirara can't come through the well, 'cause then I could just ride her up to my window_.

Kagome knew where her mom kept the hide-a-key near the front door, so hopefully she would be able to Ninja her way through the house and up to her room without waking anyone. It was the prospect of somebody already being awake that worried her more than anything else. It was late, but it wasn't _that _late. What would she say if somebody caught her?

_The truth…_ she realized begrudgingly.

She couldn't let herself get caught.

Carefully opening and closing the front door, the miko slipped off her shoes in the genkan, before tiptoeing with sock-clad feet into the rest of the house. So far, so good, it looked like everyone had retired to bed, with not a single light left on in the entire house. Having grown more accustomed to seeing in the dark over the last few months, thanks to night after night of nothing but firelight back in the Sengoku jidai, the fifteen-year-old easily maneuvered around the shadowed forms of her family's furnishings, until she made her way to the stairs. The stairs…

_Oh boy…forgot about this part_.

Gulping quietly, she lifted up one foot and very slowly began shifting her weight, cringing at the distinguishable creek of wood that gave way at the change in pressure. Nearly all of the stairs squeaked with age. There was no _way _she could make it up them silently. Giving up, at least for the time being, Kagome grimaced as the wood beneath her foot protested the removable of her weight as well, before she quickly backpedaled and made her way into the kitchen before somebody peaked downstairs to see whether or not it was just the cat. Where was Buyo when she needed him, anyway? A few well-timed meows would probably enable her to scale the staircase unnoticed. Maybe she should just stay in the kitchen? Maybe, in the morning, she would be able to pretend that she had only just then returned. How long would it take for the tea take to wear off, exactly? Sometimes her grandfather woke up pretty early…

Contemplating whether or not she could pull a chair back to have a seat at the kitchen table without making any noise, so she could at least rest her head on her arms for a little while, it was in that moment that the future-born-miko noticed an out of place piece of paper sitting on the table. That was odd. Her mother always made sure the wooden table was completely spotless before going to bed. Cracking open the fridge door to let in enough light for her to see without alerting her family upstairs to her presence, Kagome glanced down at the piece of paper only to realize in surprise that it was a letter…to her.

_Dear Kagome,_

_I don't know why, but my Mother's intuition is telling me that you will be coming home early, so I wanted to leave you this note so that you don't worry when you come home to find the house completely empty_. _You know how your Jii-chan has been wanting to visit the Sunrise Shrine on the east coast, so I finally agreed to take him_._ Because we will be gone for three days, Souta is staying at a friend's house, and he's taken Buyo with him for convenience_._ There is plenty of food in the fridge, and I've left money in your room for whatever other supplies you might need_. _I hope all is well with your friends in the past, and I hope your early return wasn't the result of a fight_. _If it was, then know that your family loves you, honey, and that I have faith that in the end, everything will work out as it was meant to_. _The kami work in mysterious ways_.

_~ Love Mama_

"Oh…Mama…" Kagome murmured softly upon finishing her mother's letter. It was dated that morning.

Every once in a while, her mother had always displayed, as far back as she could remember, some amount of borderline sixth sense. The woman had been absolutely frantic the last day her husband had left for work, never to return again. Kagome remembered it well…

But this was hardly the time or place to be dredging up such random, sad memories. Her mother had sensed her early return home, and had left her a letter as a result; a letter that explained how she hadn't needed to act like a burglar, as she had previously been doing. Rolling her eyes at herself, Kagome closed the fridge door before grabbing her mother's note and heading back through the house and up to her room, unconcerned about how much noise she made on the stairs. A quick glance in the other bedrooms confirmed the authenticity of her mom's letter; the house was empty.

_The kami work in mysterious ways, indeed_… the miko thought as she peeled out of her dusty school uniform and into some clean and fresh smelling pajamas. At least the kami had spared her the embarrassment of having to face her mother's questions while still under the effects of the tea. What timing. Her grandfather had been wanting to visit that coastal shrine for the last few years. Maybe her mother's 'intuition' went beyond merely writing her a letter.

"Thanks, Mom…" the miko whispered aloud in her quiet room, looking forward to the idea of spending the next two days alone.


	2. And Nothing But The Truth

Chapter 2 – …And Nothing But The Truth

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Leaping out of the well, Inuyasha crinkled his nose as the stink of pollution assaulted his senses. Despite that unpleasantness, he was glad to be on Kagome's side of time, and if you asked him, he'd tell you. Well, mostly because he'd _have _to.

He shuddered at the intimate reminder of just how potent that tea really was.

When they'd first arrived in Kaede's village it had been late enough that the elderly miko had long since retired to bed, but this was something that simply could not wait until morning, so they'd felt little guilt with rousing her. After quickly being filled in on the direness of the situation, Kaede had readily agreed to assist Miroku in brewing the special potion she herself knew of, as well. It was a common trick amongst holy persons with a basic knowledge of herbs and spells, but she never would've believed in her wildest dreams that Inuyasha would be willing to voluntarily consume such a concoction if she hadn't heard it with her own ears.

"Okay…how do you feel?" Miroku had asked the hanyou as Inuyasha finished drinking down the last of the tea. The potion didn't usually take very long to kick in, but they had no way of knowing if it would effect him the same way because of his youkai physiology. It might not even work at all.

Fortunately, that brief concern had been proven ungrounded when Inuyasha had immediately answered with, "I feel…strange, actually."

Inuyasha would normally never admit to feeling abnormal, no matter _what _was wrong with him. It had been a very good sign.

"Okay, I don't trust you…" Sango had stated in that moment, half-playfully and half-seriously shoving Miroku out of the way so that _she _could do the preliminary 'test' interrogation.

"What is your name?"

"Inuyasha."

"What is your species?"

"Inu-youkai hanyou."

"How old are you?"

"A hundred and fifty…this is stupid. You guys already know this stuff!"

"I'm just getting warmed up." Sango replied with a smile, "Or would you prefer I let _him _ask you questions, most of which will probably involve something lecherous?" she added while gesturing in Miroku's direction. The monk's playful wink in that moment sent a shiver down the hanyou's spine.

"No…I would _not _prefer it if you had _him_ ask the questions."

"Okay then…" the slayer continued, trying to think of things that he wouldn't normally admit, but that at the same time wouldn't be too overly embarrassing for him. Inuyasha could tell she was giving the matter some serious thought, and truly appreciated her consideration.

"What do you hate the most about turning human?"

"That I can't protect you guys properly." he confessed with only a light dusting of pink on his nose. He knew they knew he cared for them, so admitting that was really no big deal.

"What's the closest you've ever come to death?"

Without hesitation he answered, "Being injected with venom from a spiderhead-youkai during the night of the new moon."

Shippou's ears perked up at that, though the boy didn't say anything.

"By Buddha!" Miroku spoke up in total shock. "That _should _have killed you. However did you manage to survive?"

"Myouga was there at the time, and was able to suck out most of the poison from my blood, so that I was able to make it through the night until my youkai powers returned."

_Please don't ask me when this happened…_ the hanyou thought in secret, able to tell by that point that the tea was working _quite _well. Casting his eyes in Shippou's direction, he gave a tiny nod of thanks to the boy for remaining quiet himself. Since Shippou had been there, he knew precisely which questions would humiliate him the most.

"Okay…" Sango spoke up in that moment. "We have to make sure it's working properly, so I want you to deliberately try to lie to me about something."

"Like what?"

Only Kaede noticed the grin that quickly spread over Miroku's face, and by then it was too late for her to say anything to stop him.

"Have you ever pleasured yourself while thinking of Kagome-sama?"

"Hentai!" Sango shrieked, turning to clobber him one, but the damage was already done.

Nobody had ever seen Inuyasha move so fast, as he scrambled to exit the old miko's hut, the reed mat that functioned as her door covering getting halfway torn down in his haste.

"Hmph." the elderly miko intoned with a scolding glare sent Miroku's way. "I shall expect ye to repair the damage caused by your mouth."

_Well_, Sango thought, _I guess that covers not being able to lie, as well as not being able to __avoid__ answering_.

Shippou thought it best to keep to himself the fact that Inuyasha's softly spoken answer as he'd fled the hut hadn't been too quiet for _him _to hear it. They probably thought he was too young to know what 'pleasuring' yourself meant, anyway. Shaking his head, the kitsune just hoped that Inuyasha would do right by Kagome. She deserved happiness.

oOo

_Stupid fucking bouzu_… Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he made his way to Kagome's house. _I'd like to see __you__ drink that tea, and then we'll find out just how many times you've moaned __Sango's__ name_…

"Stupid fucking letch would probably admit it without the tea." he muttered, not that he thought for half a second that Miroku was actually stupid enough to drink that tea in the first place. There was no way it could be slipped to him, either. It had a _very _distinctive taste. There was really nothing you could compare it to.

_Although 'grasshopper anus' might come close…_

Shaking all unpleasant thoughts of disgusting brews and publicly announced moments of privacy from his head, Inuyasha was once again in a good mood by the time he landed on the roof just outside Kagome's window. Stealthfully creeping inside, he landed on the tatami flooring without making a sound, closing the glass behind him so as to keep out the distant sounds of traffic, lest they wake the girl currently sleeping peacefully in the bed before him. Part of him didn't have the heart to wake her. Yet, on the other hand, he _really _wanted to have this conversation with her before the effects of the tea wore off. If there was one thing that Kagome was apparently very good at, it was keeping her true feelings to herself, and he didn't want her to possess that ability while pouring his own heart out in return. Still, he would let her sleep for a few minutes longer, he decided in that moment, as he stood motionless over her bed, silently watching her sleep.

Unfortunately, for him, Kagome's miko senses were more in tune than they used to be, so the feel of his demonic aura in her room immediately started to rouse the girl, as her most basic instincts informed her on a subconscious level that there was a youkai close by.

"Mmmmnnnn" she moaned groggily, before momentarily forgetting where she was and jumping to alert at the feel of such powerful youki.

"Wha…!" she gasped as she sat bolt upright, before realizing she was in her own room, as she turned to meet Inuyasha's panicked gaze with surprised eyes of her own.

"Inuyasha!" she bellowed, more startled than anything else, although as the memories of all that had transpired quickly rushed to back her, she felt her face flame in renewed embarrassment for her previous words.

"Shhhh!" the hanyou hushed her while his ears did a frantic dance atop his head. "Do you want to wake up your whole damn family!" he demanded softly.

"They're not home." she informed him at a normal speaking level, figuring that there was no point in whispering since her family really _wasn't _home.

Baffled for a moment, Inuyasha walked towards Kagome's bedroom door and sniffed, surprised to note how stale the scents of the rest of her family really were. Not that he thought she might've been lying, considering the whole 'truth tea' thing, but just how long had her family been gone?

"When did they leave?"

"Sometime this morning, according to my mom's note."

"Where did they go?"

"Souta's staying with a friend while Mama and Jii-chan are visiting another shrine."

"How long will they be gone?"

"Until the day after tomorrow. Sheesh, Inuyasha? Why always with the twenty questions?"

Immediately, his ears lowered just a tad at her irritated tone. "I was just curious about what was going on. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to start interrogating you again."

Kagome opened her mouth to say something else, but then promptly closed it, caught off guard by how quick he was to apologize.

_Hmph, just trying to kiss up to make up for what happened earlier_.

"Well it's all right there in her note. Why don't you read it yourself, if you're so curious?" she stated in that moment, raising her hand to point towards the piece of paper currently resting on her nightstand.

True, she had no real reason to be angry with him, but that didn't mean she wouldn't hold onto her temper for as long as she could, before she inevitably crumbled into a ball of tears once he finally got down to business.

He glanced towards the peace of paper she indicated, doing his best to bite his tongue, but she _had _phrased her statement as a question, even if she hadn't truly meant it as one.

"I can't read." he finally blurted, his face erupting in a sea of crimson.

_What the huh? _the miko thought slowly, clicking on her bedside lamp only to note how pink Inuyasha's cheeks currently were.

_Oh…I guess, for somebody like him, it really wouldn't be all that likely that he'd know how to read, would it? _

She'd really put her foot in it that time, she could admit as much, but why had he gone out of his way to confess such a thing? He could've just as easily picked up the note and pretended to glance over it, or even more Inuyasha-like, he could've ignored her jibe all together in favor of saying whatever else would've been the next thing he was going to say.

_Is he trying to make me feel better for earlier by going out of his way to be honest, himself? _

It was a possibility, albeit a highly unlikely one. This theory would require further testing.

"Does it bother you that you can't read?"

Now, the correct 'Inuyasha' answer to a question like that should've either been something along the lines of not giving a fuck about reading, not giving a fuck about what anybody else thought of him, or 'Feh!', not…

"Sometimes, yeah."

With wide eyes, Kagome pinched herself to make sure she was truly awake.

"Inuyasha…what are you doing?"

Cursing under his breath, because this wasn't how he had planned on confessing to her about the tea, he answered her as basically as he could get away with, by stating truthfully, "I'm standing in your room."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Not a question.

He merely shrugged.

"Why are you being so…honest…all of a sudden?"

_Damn it! _

"I had Miroku and the baba brew me up a batch of that truth-tea."

Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, before she remembered to blink.

"No…you didn't…" she stated slowly in denial.

It wasn't a question, but…

"Yes, I did."

"What if I don't believe you?"

"Then you can test me until you're convinced."

Mentally, he was cringing at the idea, paranoid over what she might ask him, but at least he didn't have to worry about forcing himself to answer anything he didn't want to. The tea would take care of that _for_ him.

_No matter what, it'll be worth it_. _I need her to believe me on this, or she won't believe anything else I have to say_.

"How do you really feel about all the times I need to come back to my world?"

_Well, I guess it could've been worse_.

"I hate it when you have to come back here."

"Why? Because it puts our quest on hold?"

"Partly, yes, that is one of the reasons."

Intrigued, Kagome pushed further, asking, "What are the other reasons?"

"I'm worried something might happen to you, or to the well, and that you'll be taken away from me. I'm worried you might be in danger and I wouldn't be there to protect you. Or that for whatever reason, you might just come to your senses and decide on your own that you don't want to come back to me any more."

"What do you mean, I might 'come to my senses'?" she asked, a little perturbed, but mostly confused.

"I know falling into my world ruined your life in this one, Kagome, I ain't stupid. You'd be a normal girl in your world if it weren't for the jewel…or me."

"What about my promise to stay with you? Do you really think I'm capable of betraying my word like that?"

"No…I don't really think so…but sometimes I get worried, anyway. Besides, even knowing that you promised to return, that doesn't mean you might not stop _wanting _to return, or even still…what if something just happened to you, like you got hurt, and I wasn't there?"

Her eyes softened at his obvious show of concern for her, but still, even though it was unquestionably out of character for him to so openly admit to such concerns, she wasn't fully convinced, yet.

"Okay, new subject. How do you really feel about your brother?"

His eyes widened in surprise. Where had _that _come from?

_Damn it all…_

"I try to tell myself I hate him, but I don't. I just wish he didn't hate _me_, because he's the only true family I've got. His rejection hurts more than anyone else's."

Staring up at him blankly in shock, it took Kagome a moment to truly process the meaning of his words.

_Has he __really__ taken the tea of truth? _

"How…uh…no, never mind. I believe you."

Inuyasha probably should've just left it alone, especially knowing that she really did believe him for her to have admitted as much, but having already vowed to himself that he wouldn't hold anything back from her on this night, he asked in that moment, "No, tell me. What were you just going to ask?"

"I was going to ask you how your mother died." Seeing the way his eyes widened in disbelief, she quickly elaborated with, "But that's okay! It isn't really any of my business."

"It's not that it's none of your business, it's just hard for me to talk about, but…"

Sighing, Inuyasha softened his gaze as he met her eyes with his own, and offering her a small smile, he stepped forward while pulling Tetsusaiga from his obi. Gently setting the sword aside, he took a seat on the edge of her bed, and said, "But even without you officially asking me, I'll tell you anyway."

Unblinkingly, Kagome gave him her full attention.

"There was a sickness that spread through the castle where we lived. Some blamed it on me, others were wise enough to know that sickness can happen _without _it being the fault of a half-breed child, but either way…the healers were either too afraid of or disgusted by my mother to treat her. A few other people died, a couple people who were very old and a couple of kids, but everyone my mother's age…they all survived with the medicine. Medicine they wouldn't give my mother, because she had given birth to a hanyou."

"Oh kami…why are people so cruel?" she asked aloud, albeit rhetorically.

"I don't know the answer to that question." he stated solemnly.

"Neither do I…"

In the moment of silence that followed, Kagome began to find the stitch work on her comforter _very _fascinating. Finally, she confessed, "My father died in a car accident on the way home from work. I didn't see it coming, and I didn't get to say good-bye."

Inuyasha nodded his understanding at her words. Fair was fair, and so since he had shared such a painful detail about his past, it was only right that she return the favor. He had always secretly wondered what had happened to her father, though he'd never asked because he'd figured it wasn't really any of his business. Having never known his own father, he couldn't really imagine what it would be like to lose one, although he could definitely imagine how horrible it had to have been to suddenly discover that he had died, and that it had been beyond their control to do anything to prevent it. That was one of his greatest fears regarding Kagome and the well, after all, that one day she would just…never return…because something had happened. Oh well, no sense in dampening the mood with such sad thoughts. He actually had really good news he wanted to share with her, after all.

Apparently sensing where his thoughts had taken him and subconsciously agreeing that it was time to get down to business, it was in that moment that Kagome suddenly asked him, "Why did you agree to drink the tea of truth?"

He sighed.

"Because Sango got me worried when she reminded me of how much of an ass I can be at times, even when I don't really mean it. It was Shippou's idea, although the runt had only said it in jest that I should have to drink the tea myself. I was the one who actually asked Miroku if he could make it after I decided that Shippou's idea was a damn good one."

"Why are you even here in the first place?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Now?"

"I didn't want to wait until after _your _tea wore off."

"So I can humiliate myself again?"

"So you can't hide your true feelings from me any longer."

"You've always known of my feelings."

"Not all of them…"

At that, Kagome gazed silently into Inuyasha's eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"I knew you loved me, but I thought…uh…I didn't know you had thought that my reasons for seeing Kikyou were because of anything other than honor."

"What were you just going to say?"

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha exhaled, and then quietly admitted, "I thought you knew how I felt about you, in return."

"I…"

_Two can play at that game, Kagome_. _No hesitation shall go unpunished_.

"You, what?"

Cringing, the girl reluctantly confessed, "I thought you still loved Kikyou."

"And in a way, I do." he admitted of his own accord, adding, "Just not in the way you think."

"Then in what way _do _you love Kikyou?" she asked, even as she kicked herself for asking the question as she realized she was about to get a _very _honest answer. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear her little brother chanting after watching an American movie online, 'The truth? You can't handle the truth!'

"I still care deeply for her, as a person, as the first woman I ever loved. She was the first person to speak to _me_ as a person after my mother's death, and she will always hold a special place in my heart."

With her own heart ripping in two, Kagome asked, "That sounds like regular love to me. How is it any different?"

"Because I no longer desire her in the way a man desires a woman."

Kagome blushed at the visual, admittedly relieved to hear that he didn't love Kikyou _that _way. Even though Inuyasha could've ended his answer there, he realized how badly he'd hurt the girl sitting before him, and felt that he owed it to her to be even more honest than the tea demanded.

"Kikyou is dead, and I do understand that. _This _Kikyou…she never should've been brought back, and I understand that, too. There can be no future together between me and the Kikyou that walks today. All she'd wanted, before, was for the two of us to die together, when she thought I was the one who'd killed her, and she'd needed my death in order to calm her soul."

Not yet catching on to the way he'd stated that last part in past-tense, Kagome lowered her eyes before mumbling, "And you agreed to die with her because you love her."

It wasn't a question, but Inuyasha was still determined to be completely honest with the girl, especially since he could tell she was coming close to tears. He hated tears.

"I agreed to die with her if it was the only thing that would bring her soul any peace, because I felt responsible for her death, not to mention her resurrection is also my fault, because it never would've happened if I hadn't called out her name. It's my fault she's suffering, and so it's my place to make things right again. That's not the same thing as being in love, Kagome. Just because I'm no longer in love with Kikyou, it doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to _hate _her."

Kagome's eyes widened at the unexpected implication.

"Of course not!" she answered without hesitation, grateful that her family was truly gone for the night because they would've surely woken at her volume if they weren't. "I never wanted you to _hate _Kikyou."

"Then why does it bother you so much that I pledged my life to her?"

"Because you don't deserve to die!" she almost shouted. "If Kikyou really loved you, then she wouldn't want you to sacrifice your life for her, at least not now that she knows you weren't the one who killed her."

"Then I guess Kikyou really loved me, after all."

"I…wait, what?"

Smirking, Inuyasha knew there was no better time to inform the girl, "Kikyou released me from my obligation of needing to die with her to appease her soul. She said that she had required my death when she'd believed that I was the one who'd killed her, and now that she knows about Naraku, all she needs of me to find peace is for me to kill Naraku, to avenge her. My life is my own, in the mean time, and once I avenge her death, then my soul is my own, too."

"She won't be dragging you with her into Hell?"

"Only if I die by Naraku's hand, failing in my task. I would already be dead, but then yes, my soul would be bound to hers in Hell. I can't ignore my obligations completely, so I agreed to this. But she will not be the one to kill me, Kagome, and she also won't interfere in my life, in…our lives…while I'm alive. Besides, that bastard ain't gonna kill me. I'll rip him to shreds, and then Kikyou will be at peace, and then…"

Blushing, Inuyasha desperately tried to put on the brakes on his little speech, but it was too late.

"And then, what?"

"And then I could pledge my soul to _you_."

Gasping at his words, Kagome desperately searched Inuyasha's eyes for the truth, even as she knew it would only take one simple, little question to hear it.

"Do you love me?"

"More than anything."

Closing her eyes and relishing in the truth of his words, Kagome didn't jerk in surprise when she felt a warm body suddenly embracing her own, as she snuggled closer into his chest and arms, inhaling his wild scent.

After a few minutes of silence, Kagome spoke into his chest, knowing he would hear her…

"Why didn't you ever say anything before?"

Resting his chin on the top of her head as he tightened his arms wrapped around her body, he replied with, "I thought you knew how I felt, just like I knew how you felt. Why didn't you realize I returned your feelings?"

"Sometimes I thought you might love me, in some way, but no matter what, I just thought Kikyou was more important to you. Didn't you realize how deeply the whole Kikyou thing always bothered me? _Is _she more important?"

"I did know it bothered you whenever I left to see Kikyou, and I did know you were upset about the vow, but I didn't realize you'd thought I'd made that vow out of love. My obligation to Kikyou, it _is _more important, in a way. It's more important than my own happiness, but I can't say it's more important to me than _you _are, in my heart. It was a matter of honor. I hated the fact that I was bound to Kikyou, and that before, it would've meant that you and I couldn't be together. I guess, yeah, the vow was more important than our love, because it was a matter of honor; I owed her my life. But I was just as upset about the fact that that meant you and I couldn't be together as _you _were, and I thought you knew that I loved you, but that it just wasn't meant to be. It wasn't by choice. It wasn't _my _choice."

"And now?"

"Now, technically, my life still belongs to Kikyou, but she is allowing me to live as I choose, with the only exception being that I must kill Naraku, which I was gonna do _anyway_. She knows I love you, and she said she won't interfere, she won't come between us. Once I fulfill my _new _vow, then she will be at peace, and I will be free."

"So right now, I can already have you in life, but we would just be separated in the after life?"

"Yes, but I ain't gonna die, Kagome. I'll kill that bastard, and then my soul will be my own, and you and I will be together in the next world, too."

"I never hated Kikyou, and I do understand that she came before me. I think…I think if she's willing to give up as much of her claim on you as she has, then I'm willing to accept what little claim still remains. You're right, you _won't _die by Naraku's hand, especially because I'll be right there, fighting along side you. Together, _we _will avenge Kikyou's death."

Inuyasha's heart soared at her words, and before he could think about what he was doing, he pulled back from their embrace just enough to hook an index finger under Kagome's chin, as he tilted her face up and away from his chest, his own face leaning closer to hers until their lips met in a brief, chaste kiss. Blushing as he lifted his head afterwards, his embarrassment grew so severe that the inside of his ears turned pink at the way she was looking up at him in shock.

"I…" he began hastily, only to freeze mid-speech as though his voice had been stolen.

He was going to apologize for his action, but the words were plucked from his throat thanks to the magic of the tea, because to be perfectly honest, he _wasn't _sorry. He had wanted to kiss Kagome for a long time.

Recognizing the unnatural way in which he'd hesitated, Kagome knew it was the tea at work, and taking a wild stab at what he had been preparing to say, she asked him point blank, "Were you just going to apologize for kissing me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I was afraid I'd gone too far."

"Then why did the tea stop you from apologizing?"

"Because I'm not sorry."

Smirking, Kagome thought she would get Inuyasha back for all of the times he'd interrogated her throughout the course of the day, so she kept on going.

"If you're afraid you went too far, then why aren't you sorry about it?"

With his face disappearing into the fabric of his suikan, the hanyou reluctantly confessed, "Because I'm a selfish bastard, and I've wanted to kiss you for too long to truly regret it, no matter _what _you thought."

"What do you think I thought?"

"I think you were surprised, but not upset."

"Because you know I love you."

"Yes."

"So if you know I'm not upset, because I love you, then why fear you went too far?"

"Be...b-because…p-part…"

Opening her eyes wide in surprise, Kagome wasn't expecting Inuyasha to try and fight the force of the spell. Just what had she accidentally forced him to confess?

"…of m-me…is…still insecure over the fact that I'm a hanyou." he reluctantly admitted, ceasing his struggles to keep the words unspoken.

Kagome gasped, and shifting herself so that she was sitting upright before him instead of halfway leaning against him as she had previously been, she reached up with her right hand to cup his left cheek.

"Oh…Inuyasha…"

Leaning into her touch, he closed his eyes, and confessed further…

"I know you love me, but so did Kikyou, before, but nothing would've ever happened between us with me as a hanyou. I was going to use the jewel to turn human, remember?"

"Yes."

"I know you've said you like me as a hanyou, that you like me just the way I am, but there's a big difference between liking and accepting somebody as a person, and even caring deeper for that person with love in your heart, and…and being willing to _be _with that person…as a man and a woman."

His ears swiveled forward at the sound of her heart's tempo suddenly increasing, until the organ was pounding frantically in her chest, as she hesitantly lowered her hand from his cheek.

"Now have I gone too far?" he asked dejectedly, realizing that just because she wasn't upset about the kiss, that didn't automatically mean she was willing to go any further. But to him, it was all or nothing. You either had a physical relationship with somebody or you didn't. Sure, you could build up to it gradually, start out with just a kiss, and then go further with time, but if you had no intention of ever going any further with that person, then why kiss them? To him, a kiss was the symbol of accepting that person wholly, mind, _body_ and soul. Considering his lingering insecurities regarding his mixed heritage, Inuyasha could accept that she might love him with her heart, but couldn't allow herself to love him with her body, and that was why he had originally planned on apologizing for the kiss. With his ears trained forward and his heart in his throat, he waited silently for Kagome's answer.

"No…" she admitted shyly, closing her eyes for a moment.

With her eyes closed, she missed the giant wave of relief that washed over him at her timid reply.

"So…" she spoke up again after a moment, opening her eyes to meet his gaze. "You have had…_those _types of thoughts, about me?"

"Repeatedly." he confessed without hesitation, and for some reason, he didn't feel quite as embarrassed as he thought he would. Perhaps it was because she felt the same way…? She _did _feel the same way, right? He really needed to be sure.

"What about you? Are you truly willing to, uh…bed…with me? As I am?"

Her face flamed at his words, unable to believe he'd actually asked her such a direct question, but still, this night was dedicated to honesty, to getting _all _of their feelings for each other out in the open.

"Yes…although I wouldn't say 'willing' is the right word. More like…I would be _happy _to."

"Really?"

She couldn't help but to giggle a little at his innocent, joyful expression. Even given their current topic of conversation, Kagome could tell there was truly nothing dirty or lecherous going on in Inuyasha's mind. Joining together as two people…it was the purist form of expressing love, and that she was willing to share herself so intimately with him, when he had grown up his whole life hearing how filthy, tainted and unwanted he was… Well, it meant a lot to him, clearly.

"Yes, really." she answered with a smile, still somewhat amazed in the back of her mind that she and Inuyasha were actually openly discussing the prospect of the two of them having sex.

"May I…uh…may I kiss you again?"

Smiling, she unhesitantly replied with "Yes, you may."

Smiling himself, a rare sight for Kagome, she held her breath as Inuyasha leaned forward, closing the gap between them until their lips met for the second time that night. Instead of the brief peck he had given her the first time, this time, he allowed the pressure to linger, as he cherished the sensation of his lips against her own. Melting into the tenderness of the moment, it didn't take Kagome long to decide that she would no longer be satisfied with a simple kiss, and so when he finally started to pull away, she made her move, weaving her arms up and around his neck before pulling herself forward to kiss him once more, although this time it was anything but simple. Inuyasha was surprised, but also overjoyed by her action, as he eagerly wrapped his arms around her back, holding her to him just as tightly as she clung to him in return. When he felt her lips start to move against his own, it didn't take him long to catch on, as he began mimicking her movements, and when he felt her tongue delicately trace the edge of his lips, silently asking for entry, he readily granted her request.

They explored each other to the fullest, as she traced his fangs with her tongue, while he savored the taste of her. Slowly but steadily, a fire ignited in each of their bellies, beginning to burn brighter and hotter with each passing minute, as they began panting, sweating, and clinging to each other more desperately. It seemed that neither of them were willing to allow reality to rear its ugly head, so lost were they both in the moment. Gradually, Inuyasha permitted his mouth to vacate the premises of her own, as he trailed his tongue down across her throat, suckling and nipping gently at her neck, causing her to moan softly and arch into his touch. Her hands behind his neck turned into fistfuls of hair, as she yanked, but not in any way meant for him to stop what he was doing. Growling possessively from deep within his throat, Inuyasha began moving over her body, leaning her backwards, and Kagome readily complied, until she was stretched out on her back with him lying possessively over her, his legs resting between her own. Her chest heaved with heavy breaths, pressing her breasts against him, but he was content for the time being to remain focused on her neck, as he unconsciously began rocking against her. Each of them had momentary flashes of thought pass through their minds, as they asked themselves what they thought they were doing, as they told themselves they knew they should stop, but neither of them were willing to listen to reason as they stubbornly ignored their own inner voices in favor of the breathy moans and gasps that were filling her room.

Instead of pushing him off of her, she grabbed his left hand from where it currently rested against her right shoulder, and placed it over her breast. He immediately began squeezing and pinching, causing her to arch into his touch even more fiercely than before. Instead of feeling embarrassed by the obviousness of his excitement for her, he reached down with his right hand for a second to adjust himself, as he continued to move his hips against her.

Things continued on like that for several minutes further. Hooking her legs around his own, Kagome rocked with him, knowing full well what it was she could feel between her legs and loving every minute of it. He repeatedly rejoined his mouth with hers, and he even allowed Kagome some further exploration of her own, as she yanked his head back by the hair to bite at his own throat, knowing her blunt human teeth would never be strong enough to break the skin, no matter how many times he whispered "Harder" in her ear. Inuyasha liked it rough, no real surprise there.

The miko was content to remain lost in their passion forever, so it was somewhat of a splash of cold water when Inuyasha suddenly pulled himself away from her, jerking up onto his hands and knees above her so that their bodies were no longer touching.

"Whoa…" he breathed, panting heavily.

"What?" she asked desperately, the fear of rejection tainting her scent and stinging his nose.

Just because they had each said they'd had those types of thoughts, that they each wantedto _be _with each other, was it possible that he didn't really want to _yet?_ But wasn't it usually the girl who wanted to wait because she 'wasn't ready'? Kagome knew _she _was ready, she'd loved him for so long, _wanted _him for so long…there was really no reason why they needed to wait. Unless, of course, he simply wasn't ready. She would never force him into anything he didn't-

"I almost came." he blurted, causing her thoughts to come to a screeching halt with the mental sound effect of a needle scratching across a record.

"What?" she repeated, unable to mask the relief and amusement in her voice.

The relief he understood, since it had been obvious to him from her sudden scent change that she had feared he was rejecting her, but was the amusement really necessary?

Backing off of her, Inuyasha knelt next to her on the bed.

"I almost came, damn it. This is a fucking dream come true and I got too excited, all right?" he repeated, more than a little humiliated at the confession.

Moving so that she was sitting up cross-legged before him, Kagome reached forward with a hand on his leg.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of." she assured him quietly, her smile warm and gentle.

Taking a deep breath in the hopes of calming himself down, Inuyasha's head swam with the scent of her desire for him .

"Damn…" he moaned, a lethargic smile creeping over his face.

"What?" she asked again with a grin in her voice, only mildly confused and still more amused than anything else.

"Your scent…it's absolutely heavenly. Your body is _screaming _for me."

To her credit, Kagome didn't uncross her legs, even as a horrible crimson stained her cheeks as she realized just which scent he was referring to.

"Yes, it is." she admitted after a moment, even though he hadn't asked her a question. "What are you going to do about it?"

Locking eyes with her own as his golden orbs darkened to a fiery amber, his voice dropped an octave as he replied, "I'm going to make it scream some more."

Without warning, he lunged, and Kagome suddenly realized just how quickly someone of demonic blood could actually move, as she suddenly found herself sitting topless before him, caught in his embrace as he palmed his hands up and down across her bare back and sides, her pajama top lying somewhere on the floor below. Towering over her possessively once more, it was with a gently murmured "Lie down…" that Inuyasha coaxed Kagome back into her previous position, not that she really needed all that much coaxing. Kissing her senseless, Inuyasha didn't stop with just her throat this time, as his tongue ventured lower, eliciting a moan from her throat. She purred from his attentions, arching her back, pressing herself against him further. After giving equal attention to each fleshy mound, he began traveling his tongue even lower still, and Kagome held her breath as she realized her lover's intended destination. Yanking off her remaining clothing, the hanyou quickly had her bared before him.

Lying there as she was, Kagome wondered briefly at how she didn't feel embarrassed. Not in the slightest. She was excited, and almost desperate for him to touch her where she had only ever touched herself.

"I've never seen a woman like this before." he admitted quietly, some of the fire cooled in his voice as he gazed at her perfect form in wonderment and awe.

"What are you talking about?" she panted, tilting her head to glance down at him. "You've seen _me _naked before, several times in fact."

"I'm talking about this…" he answered as he reached forward.

She gasped at his touch, and she still wasn't embarrassed. Not even when she saw him gaze at her with a fiery blaze before lowering his face, settling into position.

Was he really planning to…?

_Oh kami…I've heard stories, but I never imagined he would ever-_

"Ah!" she gasped at the unexpected waves of pleasure.

"Like that?" he rumbled.

"Gods, yes!"

Just because he'd never actually been with a woman before, it didn't mean he'd never heard stories. Living for as long as he had out in the wilderness, there had been several occasions over the years where he'd been within earshot of traveling bandits or swindlers out in the woods, the type of men who spoke loudly and frequently of their many female conquests. At the time, it had been more information then he'd cared to hear, but now, he was only too happy to put his inadvertent knowledge to good use. It wasn't long before he had Kagome screaming his name, her fists in his hair.

When she finally calmed down, loosening her grip on his silvery strands, he backed away from her only to grin down at her in pride. _He _was the one who had just brought her so much pleasure. She had _let _him touch her in such a manner, because she _loved _him. Not even the prospect of his own brother forever hating him could sour his mood in that moment.

"How was it?" he asked her smugly, chuckling as she glared at him before confessing, "It was the best orgasm of my life."

She could see the wheels were starting to turn at that answer, so she quickly got him off track by asking in turn, "How did you know what to do?"

Immediately coming clean about what he'd overheard over the years from various travelers in the woods, he then assured her once and for all, "I've never been with anyone before. You're my first."

"I've never been with anyone before, either." she replied, even though he hadn't asked. She figured it would be wrong of her to allow any doubt to linger in his sometimes overly sensitive imagination.

Quickly putting two and two together, Inuyasha's chest puffed in renewed pride at the astounding realization that the pleasure he had just given her was even better that what she gave herself. Then again, he had also heard it from traveling men in the forest that the same was also true the other way around. But he wouldn't ask Kagome to do that…at least not tonight.

"What are you thinking?"

_Damn it! _

Kagome wanted to giggle as his contemplative expression quickly morphed into horror. Whatever he had been thinking, honesty was the best policy, right?

"That I'd also heard that, uh…using the mouth…was better…for men. But that I wasn't going to ask you to do that!"

Laughing at his panicked expression, Kagome pulled her legs back before sitting up, as she cooed, "But what if I wanted to?"

"Then I'd let you." he blurted before quickly slapping a hand over his mouth.

She giggled.

"Quit doin' that! This shit ain't funny!"

"Oh come on…it's only me. It's not like Miroku-sama asked you anything perverted."

_Shit…_

Unable to mask his expression quickly enough, Kagome's eyes widened. "He did?"

"Yes."

"What did he ask you?"

"If I've ever pleasured myself while thinking of you." he confessed, his eyes softening as he realized that particular topic of discussion wasn't anywhere near as humiliating with the woman of his fantasies currently sitting naked before him.

"And what was your answer?"

"Yes…" he sighed, adding, "Though I bolted outta there so fast I'm hopin' they didn't hear it."

Instead of giggling at his embarrassment, Kagome leaned forward, her chest level with his eyes as she stretched up to reach his ear and whispered, "I was thinking of you, too."

"Kagome…" he groaned, before pulling a breast into his mouth.

His attentions to her were languid, pleasant, so she was able to remain functioning as she maneuvered her hands into position, tugging loose the knot of his obi so that she could begin the daunting task of undressing him. It wasn't very fair that she was naked while he was still fully clothed, after all. However, with the way he was sitting, it didn't take long for her hand at his waist to accidentally encounter something _else_, and at his sharp intake of breath, Kagome suddenly decided the obi could wait. Pulling back away from his attentions, then, Kagome snaked her right hand through the open slit at the right side of his hakama, and quickly found what she was looking for, relishing in the choked gasp that tumbled from his throat at the contact.

"Holy fucking shit…" he panted, unfolding his legs as he leaned back against the wall, laying propped up and stretched out before her with his feet dangling off the side of her bed, though still fully clothed.

"You gotta help me get you outta this stuff. I want you naked." she said in that moment, and wordlessly, he nodded, quickly undoing his obi to yank open his robes while she never ceased what she was doing within the confines of his hakama.

Once he had all of his clothing's ties undone, he shrugged his robes off his shoulders before letting them fall off his arms and onto the bed beneath him, and with the ties of his hakama unfastened, Kagome reached up with her left hand to lower the garment's front flap, revealing what she was doing, all the while never releasing him. Inuyasha's hands joined hers to tackle the removal of his fundoshi, and then after pulling it free, some mild wiggling on his part was all that was needed to have his hakama falling off his feet, and then finally, she had him nude before her.

"I've never seen a man like this before." she murmured in that moment, even as she continued her attentions of him.

"Wha…ahhh…what are y-you talking about?" he managed to rasp. "You've seen _me _naked before." he added, mirroring their previous exchange. It was true, after all.

"I'm talking about _this_…" Kagome emphasized. He had not been aroused during the times she'd previously seen him sans clothing, and while she only had the stories of her school friends to go by for comparison, the miko believed she could say with confidence that Inuyasha was _far _above average.

Not forgetting about her previous offer, it was in that moment that Kagome leaned down over him, preparing to give him what she'd offered. His response was immediate, as he sucked in air through his teeth while raising his hips in anticipation. She'd only heard stories, but then again so had he, and she had _no _complaints, so hopefully, he wouldn't either.

"Fuck!" he shouted, unable to contain himself, and it was music to her ears. The act wasn't the most comfortable in the world, but any thoughts of discomfort were immediately erased from her mind upon hearing him shout out, "Ahhhhh, crap! I love you, Kagome! Oh _fuck…_" If she could've, she would've grinned.

Things progressed steadily for another forty-five seconds or so, and then…

"Godsdamned mother-fucking- ah! Shit!"

Before she could react, the miko suddenly found her head in his hands, as he swiftly, yet also carefully so as not to hurt her, yanked her up and away from himself.

"That was way too fucking close…" he panted, adding, "Maybe…one day…but not right now. Not for our first time."

The miko blushed hotly as it became obvious what he was referring to. She hadn't really been thinking about it, but now that she was, she was glad he had stopped her when he had. Maybe one day she would be ready to try that, but he was right, tonight wasn't the time for it. She also felt another kind of heat rush to her cheeks as she fully registered the way he'd so casually made reference to their 'first' time like that. It wasn't that he was out of line for presuming she was willing to go all the way with him in that moment, because she most certainly was, but the heat she felt consume her was the heat of passion, fueled by the causal way he acknowledged that there would undoubtedly be _other _times besides this one.

With that last thought in mind, it was with a wicked smile that Kagome backed away from him, gently nudging his legs out of the way as she lied herself back down along her bed, ready to receive him. Smirking, Inuyasha didn't need to be told twice, as he crawled over her body once more, settling himself into position.

"I know this will be uncomfortable for you, but I'll make it up to you, I promise." he vowed quietly.

Meeting his eyes with her own, Kagome spoke from the heart as she honestly told him, "I don't care about physical comfort right now. I want you more than anything, even if it hurts like hell. I _love _you, and I want to be your lover, mate, wife…whatever word you want to label it. I want to be _yours_. Please, make me yours, Inuyasha."

Moisture gathered behind his eyes at her words, and leaning his head down, he met her lips with his own for a slow, tender kiss, as he slowly guided himself home. Her newness made it feel like her body was trying to resist him.

"Try to relax…" he murmured softly, pinching his eyes shut as sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I could say the same thing about you." Kagome commented, the feel of his heart thundering in his chest resonating throughout her body.

"Not gonna happen." he admitted quietly, gently kissing her lips once more. "There's no way I can be calm when you've just given me the most wonderful gift in the entire world."

Finally feeling them join completely, Inuyasha remained still for a moment, savoring the sensation of simply being one with her. Even though he had had fantasies, he had never honestly thought that such an event would ever come to be. After all, he had only just been released from his vow of dying with Kikyou a few hours ago, and prior to that moment, he had known that a physical relationship with Kagome was out of the question. He might be an ass at times, but he wasn't _that _heartless, and he never would've committed himself to Kagome in such a way if he'd known he was only going to end up having to leave her, and this was a commitment. She was his now, and he was also hers. They belonged with each other, they belonged _to _each other, and nothing and no one had the power to change that.

Beneath him, Kagome had her eyes pinched shut, but it was only to keep from crying because she was so overwhelmed with joy that she knew she wouldn't be able to contain her tears if she looked him in the eyes. She had never thought this moment would actually come, and now, she was more than a little in shock. During their previous activities of a few minutes prior, it had been easy to lose herself in the moment, in the passion that tended to numb one's ability to form coherent thought, but now, as she laid still below him, as he rested motionlessly atop her, their bodies connected in the most intimate of ways possible, it really hit her, they were one.

Realizing that Inuyasha was probably lost in a daze of his own, and wanting to reassure him that he wasn't dreaming, it was in that moment that Kagome reached up with her right hand and gently began tweaking his left her. He jerked to attention at the contact, and turning to meet her gaze, he found Kagome's eyes open and smiling up at him.

"You can move." she assured him.

"Are you in pain?" he asked her quietly.

"A little," she confessed, quickly adding "But it's not important."

Reassured by the love he could clearly see in her pools of chocolate as she gazed up at him tenderly, he began moving very carefully, biting his lip almost to the point of drawing blood to keep from losing control. Going so slowly was absolute torture, but besides being afraid of accidentally hurting her with his youkai strength if he lost control of himself, Inuyasha was also fairly sure that he wouldn't last too long if he started going much faster. Then again, if Kagome was in pain, even a little, then it really wasn't right to prolong her discomfort, was it?

Gradually increasing his tempo, the hanyou hissed as waves of pleasure enveloped his entire body.

"Oh fuck, 'Gome, I can't take much more of this. You feel way too fucking good."

"Let it go, Inuyasha. Don't hold yourself back."

Going faster still, it didn't take long at all before he once again felt the onset of that telltale tightness, and this time, he didn't fight it.

"Oh f-fuck…Mmm, arg…Ka…Kagome, yeah…_**fuck!**__"_

Stilling all movement completely, Inuyasha was literally shaking with the intensity of pleasure rushing through him. Fortunately, he knew it was the wrong time of the month for her to conceive, although that was something they would definitely have to take into consideration in the future. While he would love nothing more than to have a family of his own, now wasn't the time to start one, while that bastard Naraku still had breath in his body.

Kagome's thoughts were running along similar lines. The thought of condoms wasn't very appealing, and in the Sengoku jidai they'd have no proper way to dispose of them, anyway, so maybe she would ask her mom about getting on the pill. She wasn't worried about having _that _conversation with her mother, the elder Higurashi woman had already long ago pulled her daughter aside and assured her that she trusted Kagome to be old and wise enough to make her own decisions in that regard. Mrs. Higurashi had known that Kagome was in love with Inuyasha longer than Kagome had known it herself.

"I love you…" she whispered in that moment, for no other reason than figuring that he deserved to hear it as often as possible.

Pulling back slightly to meet his mate's eyes, Inuyasha offered Kagome one of his rarest, truest smiles. "I love you, too." he responded sincerely, before retracting himself to turn and lay beside her.

Kagome could feel how sticky she was, grimacing slightly, then quickly explaining so that he would not misunderstand at her expression she stated… "I better go get cleaned up." as she tried to move herself out from under him to head into the bathroom.

Moving his hands to her shoulders, Inuyasha held her firmly in place, his smile turning into a smirk.

"Let me take care of that. I promised to make it up to you, after all."

Whatever the miko was about to say next, her words were replaced with gasps and moans as Inuyasha traveled down her body for the second time that night. Eventually, when it was deemed time to use the bed for actual sleep, neither of them bothered getting dressed first, knowing that Kagome's family wouldn't be there in the morning. They cuddled together skin against skin, turned on their right sides with Inuyasha's back to the wall, as he spooned her, wrapping himself around her nude form while she snuggled just as equally against him in return.


	3. Epilogue

Epilogue…

.

.

.

The next morning, Inuyasha awoke with the sun, surprised for a moment to find himself rousing as he realized he had actually fallen asleep, and not just the light dozing he normally only permitted himself, but a deep, restful sleep. Last night wasn't the first time he'd found himself falling asleep on Kagome's bed, but it was certainly the first time he'd done so naked, with an equally naked Kagome still lying asleep in his embrace come morning. It wouldn't be the last time, of that he was sure.

Content to let the girl in his arms continue to sleep for however long her body needed it, the hanyou remained motionless, soundlessly taking in the lingering scents of their joining with every breath, the edges of his lips quirking up into a grin. Kagome was his.

_Kagome is mine_.

It truly was a dream come true.

Part of him would've loved to have laid like that forever, but unfortunately, if they ever wanted any hope of completing the fantasy in its entirety, it meant that Naraku had to be taken care of once and for all, and in order to do that, it meant they had to return to the past, which meant that Kagome had to wake up. Inuyasha still decided to let the girl to do so on her own, but he knew it was only a matter of time, and when that time finally came, as she groaned low in her throat while simultaneously stretching her body, he reluctantly released his hold on her so that she could move and stretch as her waking body demanded.

The first thing Kagome noticed upon regaining consciousness was the incredible feel of youki brushing up against her miko aura, although unlike the night before, this time she was already well aware of the fact that Inuyasha was in her room, and therefore the energy against her mind's eye didn't startle her. Not only was Inuyasha in her room, but he was also in her _bed_, which she quickly remembered as she did her morning stretches only to realize that her body was still held flush against his own. Despite herself, Kagome wasn't embarrassed by the realization, or the realization that they were both still naked. She had no reason to feel embarrassed in his presence any longer.

Apparently realizing that she was awake and in need of shifting, he released her in that moment, and Kagome took full advantage as she stretched her legs and arms, before rolling over to face him.

"Hey." she greeted upon noting how his wakeful eyes were gazing right at her.

"Hey." he greeted in return, adding "How do you feel?"

Unconsciously biting her lip, Kagome was nervous that the tea was going to make her confess that she actually felt a little sore, but then quickly realized that she'd yet to answer his question at all, which could only mean…

"The tea's worn off!" she blurted, which hadn't been what he'd been expecting her to say. Needless to say, Inuyasha was somewhat taken aback.

"So…you gonna start being dishonest with me now, or what?" he asked, though he was mostly just teasing. His tone of voice was playful, but Kagome could detect the slightest trace of genuine uncertainty behind his question.

"Careful what you say while _you're _still under its influence, or I'll have you confessing your darkest fears."

He snorted playfully at her empty threat, reaching a hand up to gently tap her nose with an index finger.

"You don't have to ask, I'll tell you. My darkest fear is losing you because of a failure on my part." Taking a moment to breathe after voicing such a thing out loud got his heart beating a little faster than he liked, he calmed down a bit before adding, "Now answer _my _question. You were obviously hesitating about something or you wouldn't have realized the tea had stopped working."

"I…" Sighing, she confessed, "I am a little on the sore side, but it's really no big deal."

With apologetic eyes, he mumbled, "If you're sure."

Finally deciding upon the sound of Kagome's stomach rumbling that the two of them should probably get out of bed and head into the kitchen for something to eat, climbing out of bed together naked was proven to be no more embarrassing than waking up naked in each other's arms. Getting ogled by your partner wasn't really that big of a deal, after all, especially when you could stare right back. In fact, they each took a little longer getting dressed than they probably needed to, allowing each other ample time to look. It didn't take long before their imaginations started kicking into overdrive, and things almost started progressing in a manner very similar to the night before, until a second growl from Kagome's stomach reminded the hanyou that his woman was human, and that humans needed to eat on a much more regular basis than youkai did. He would not allow Kagome to put her health in jeopardy, especially over something like forcing her to skip breakfast just so they could-

"You want to do it again, don't you?" she asked him suddenly, breaking the silence as they descended the stairs.

"Yes…" he reluctantly admitted while sending her a sidelong glare for the question.

"Just let me get some breakfast in us first." Kagome answered, reaching for his hand and giving it a little squeeze as they passed through the living room and into the kitchen. "We've got _all _day."

oooOooo

After thoroughly enjoying taking advantage of her empty house, including sharing a bath together and spending an additional night cuddled and naked in her bed, not to mention other, more 'adventurous' activities, it was after breakfast the following morning that the miko and hanyou finally gathered up whatever supplies they needed before heading back through the well. Kagome knew she needed to have that talk with her mother sooner rather than later, but Inuyasha had assured her that he was more than capable of resisting her during the time of month when she would be most likely to conceive. At least until she could get herself on that 'birth control' medicine she had told him about. Would the wonders of her time never cease to amaze him?

When the effects of his tea had finally worn off in the middle of his second night in Kagome's time, Inuyasha had promised to always try his best to be completely honest with her on his own. It would _not _be a good idea for either of them to ever deliberately expose themselves to that potion again, because at least when it came to facing the enemy, one needed to maintain the ability to tell a lie. However, when it came to each other, they needed to be honest, no ands ifs or buts. The 'not lying' to her part definitely wasn't a problem. The 'being completely honest' to her part was a little different, though. He was a very private person by nature, and it would be hard to answer some questions with anything other than "None of your business." He would try, though, and she had his permission to call him on it if he ever unconsciously reverted back to his old ways. Of course, it worked the other way around, too, and if he ever caught her acting mopey and asked her what was wrong, she wasn't allowed to put on her fake smile and brush it off as though it were nothing, even if he himself was the cause of her upset. Though granted, now that the whole 'Kikyou' business had been resolved, odds were good that he wouldn't be upsetting her nearly as often as he used to.

Once back in the past, Miroku and Sango shared knowing looks with the blushing couple, but a threatening wave of Hiraikotsu was all that was needed to keep the monk's more lecherous thoughts to himself. All perversions aside, the taijiya and houshi were both extremely happy for their friends.

It was a little awkward for Inuyasha, at first, to openly show his affection for Kagome whenever the girl tried to sit against him in the presence of their friends, leaning her head on his shoulder, or resting her hand on his leg, but despite his mild embarrassment, Inuyasha actually appreciated the fact that Kagome was so willing to be open about their relationship. Even though there were a few scattered people out there who were willing to be with a youkai, those relationships were always kept extremely secret. Kagome acted like she didn't care _who _knew about the two of them being together. Of course, after some mildly frustrating persuasion, Inuyasha finally got the girl to agree to not be so open regarding their level of closeness while at foreign villages or any other time they were in the presence of strangers, for her own safety. In Kaede's village, however, it didn't take long for it to become public knowledge, and thanks to the elderly miko's influence, they never received any hassles from any of the local villagers for their relationship. Instead of ostracizing Kagome, they actually started treating _him _with greater respect. Kagome would always be a kami-send in their eyes, no matter what, so her open acceptance of him eventually earned the hanyou the title of "Inuyasha-sama".

Once Kagome needed to return home again, she finally had that 'talk' with her mother, and Inuyasha was welcomed into the Higurashi family with open arms…at least by her mother and Souta. Kagome's grandfather was a little harder to please, but even he reluctantly accepted the hanyou eventually, after Inuyasha had agreed to properly wed the miko. Although she couldn't legally get married until the age of sixteen, her birthday was only a few months away, and since no marriage between her and Inuyasha would be legally binding in their time, anyway, her Jii-chan had seen no point in the delay, and so under the shade of the Goshinboku, he'd performed the ceremony himself, and the two were wed in the eyes of the kami. Although common villagers back in the Sengoku jidai didn't go through official wedding ceremonies, Inuyasha had been familiar with the concept because it was something already done in his time among the higher families. A wedding, to him, was less about joining merely those two people, and literally about joining two whole families together, tying them together via the two people who had been pared. For Kagome's grandfather to marry the two of them, officially, it meant so much to the hanyou, to _truly _be accepted into their family like that. He would never be able to repay them, but he would try his best, by always making sure that Kagome was happy and well taken care of. It was all Mrs. Higurashi had asked of him.

It was one year to the day, on her sixteenth birthday, when all that had been done was finally undone. The shattered jewel, whole, and temporarily in the hands of the enemy; the final battle against Naraku was long and dangerous, but with the help of some likely, and some not so likely allies, they were victorious against the dark hanyou.

Kouga had been furious the first time he'd come around after the fact to learn that Kagome and Inuyasha were officially together, but instead of challenging Inuyasha for the girl, it turned out he was mostly upset with himself, for waiting too long to claim her as his own. The ookami-youkai had admitted to knowing of Kagome's feelings for the hanyou, but he'd simply thought that nothing would ever come of it and that Kagome would remain available. He would have taken her away much sooner, but he hadn't wanted to settle down until after the defeat of Naraku, which he'd then promised was still on his agenda, agreeing to work together more peacefully with the inu-tachi in their shared goal now that there was no longer a reason for he and Inuyasha to fight.

Reluctantly, Inuyasha had also agreed to put their past differences aside, since the wolf had vowed to not cause any problems between him and his mate. They had even come to the wolf's aid when Kouga eventually lost his jewel shards, nearly losing his life in the process, before they'd been able to defeat the hordes of lowly insect-youkai that had been sent to collect his shards. Kouga, along with Ginta and Hakkaku, had joined up with the inu-tachi on that day. Naraku's defeat was near.

Sesshoumaru had been rather indifferent to the fact that Inuyasha had taken Kagome as his, since the hanyou was already beneath him and claiming a human woman in such a vile way had only validated that point of view. But nevertheless, the Daiyoukai had also been there during the final battle against Naraku, offering assistance even as he denied doing such a thing, demanding that they "stay out of his way", even when he saved somebody's life as part of making that demand. After the battle was over, he'd strolled off without a word, which also meant he hadn't made any last minute insults or claims on Inuyasha's life. Kagome suspected that while Sesshoumaru might always despise Inuyasha's existence, a little bit, he didn't really hate him as much as the hanyou thought he did. Perhaps the Daiyoukai just didn't have it in him to kill a son of his father.

Of course, Kikyou had played an active role in Naraku's destruction, herself. It wasn't as if she had truly instructed Inuyasha to do away with the dark hanyou solely by his own hand with no assistance. Above all, it was Naraku's death that Kikyou craved, and should Inuyasha still be alive at the time of Naraku's death, then his soul was his. She'd truly had no intention of screwing over her own future-self, after all, and as for Kagome, she and her preincarnation had actually spoken a few times prior to the final battle against Naraku, developing strategies, discussing possible weaknesses…

The first time Kikyou's soul collectors had made themselves known after the incident with the truth-tea, Inuyasha had told Kagome that he needed to see what Kikyou wanted, because it most likely had something to do with Naraku, but then he'd also brought Kagome along with him, just so there would be no misunderstandings between him and _either _miko. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Kikyou had been civil towards Kagome, and once the dark hanyou had started making his presence known again with increased activities across the countryside, the three of them had begun meeting on a fairly regular basis to compare notes. Kikyou had ended up being a key player in Naraku's demise, and upon his defeat, she had pulled _his _soul into Hell - along with the Shikon no Tama - her revenge complete, her spirit satisfied and ready to be reincarnated as Kagome, to start the cycle all over again.

Once the dark hanyou was gone, things quickly became more peaceful for the inu-tachi, as Sango and Miroku settled down in Kaede's village, ready to share their lives together. Kohaku hadn't survived, the boy having apparently outlived his usefulness when Naraku had plucked the shard from his neck to complete the jewel, but with Miroku's help, his wife was learning to grieve properly and move on.

Speaking of moving on, upon the dark hanyou's death, Kikyou wasn't the only one who had collected her revenge, and so the trio of ookami-youkai headed north to join up with the mountain clan.

After a few days of pussyfooting around, Inuyasha and Kagome finally discussed what could no longer be avoided…the issue of where to live…or more accurately, 'when'.

Fortunately, they had discovered that they could still travel back and forth through the well, so long as they did so together. Without even thinking about it Kagome had gone home to tell her family the good news while Inuyasha said that he would follow after her later, only to get the fright of his life when Shippou had asked, almost in a panic, if Kagome would be stuck on her side of the well now that the jewel was gone. Rushing after her as fast as he could, Inuyasha had been relieved beyond measure when the blue lights of time engulfed him, happily depositing him into Kagome's world. Upon realizing what a horrible mistake they _could _have made, Kagome hadn't even wanted to chance allowing Inuyasha to return to his own time alone, and so he hadn't returned until Kagome was ready to head back too, and he'd held her tightly in his arms as he'd made the leap, silently praying for this one miracle. He'd always been able to bring Kagome back to the past with him before when she hadn't had a jewel shard, but the jewel had still _existed _at that time, and they truly had no idea what tied Kagome to the magic of the well.

With the knowledge that she could actually still see her family from time to time, so long as Inuyasha went with her since he was needed to bring her back into the past again afterwards, it made the decision easier for Kagome when she finally announced her choice to remain in the past as her permanent home. It simply wasn't practical to ask Inuyasha to live with her in the future. He would never be able to get a job, he would never be able to _provide _for her by her time period's standards, and that would secretly eat him alive, she was sure. In his time, in his world, he didn't need money to make sure she had everything _she _needed to be secure, warm, fed and happy. The benefit of being able to visit the future was truly a blessing, though even if she'd had to choose only one world or the other, Kagome was sure she would've picked Inuyasha's world in the end. After all, _he _was her world, and all she truly needed.

Three months after she stopped taking the pill, Kagome was pregnant. The fantasy was finally reality, and to tell the truth, it was a dream come true to both of them.

~ Fin ~


End file.
